Pokémon Rescue Force
by Light Warrior
Summary: The chronicles of a Pokémon cop's efforts to fight against illegal experimentation on Pokémon while his wife cares for the victims of these experiments, including an orphaned Cubone and a talking Hitmonlee, and their daughter embarks on a Pokémon journey.
1. Chapter 1

Pokémon Rescue Force  
Co-written by Light Warrior and Lotus of the Leaf  
Edited by Light Warrior

Foreword by Light Warrior:  
Before we begin, let me warn you that this story _**does**_ primarily feature **original characters**. If that does not sparkle with you, please turn back and seek out another fanfic. When submitting a review, I ask that you please rate the content of the story, not complain about the fact that Ash, Brock, Dawn, etc. are not in this story. (I dislike the anime intensely and will not incorporate its cast into my work.) Senseless flames will be deleted, although constructive criticism is welcome.

With that said, this fanfic is based on an RP (roleplay) between my girlfriend and me. The following chapters are rewrites of that RP, which was almost, but not quite, completed. The story is loosely based on the video games, though occasional allusions might be made to the anime. Many of the character names are borrowed from the Japanese versions of the manga, the anime, the video games, and other incarnations of the franchise. There is also one character who bears an obvious close resemblance to a popular _Naruto_ character for anyone who is familiar with the franchise. The bulk of the story is set in Kanto and features primarily Generation I Pokémon. However, the other regions and Pokémon exist within this world and will make appearances from time to time.

That's all. Enjoy.

Chapter 1

Red lights flashed down every corridor of a steel hallway, their sanguine glimmer reflecting on the walls. Besides the lights, the sounds of the alarm also rebounded from the metal frames, its echoes all but overpowering the rapid trotting of two sets of feet. Both of the fleeing intruders had brown hair and brown eyes. The taller of the two wore a tea green sweater, blue jeans, and brown shoes. The other, slightly shorter, man had slightly messier hair and wore round-framed glasses, a light brown hooded jacket with the hood down, blue jeans, and black shoes. Further down the hallway, running equally fast, was a group of five men in black suits: black berets, black sweaters, black pants, black gloves, and black boots, the only deviance from this pattern being in the large red "R" on each of their shirts. As the two fleeing men approached a section of intersecting hallways, the man in the glasses reached for his belt, from which hung six Poké Balls: three on the left side and three on the right side. The same was true for his comrade. The man in the glasses removed one of the Poké Balls and tossed it on the ground behind him.

"Typhlosion!" he called out as the aforementioned Pokémon emerged in a flash of white light. The Pokémon cried its name as it glared menacingly at the approaching Rocket Grunts, who charged fearlessly forward. "Smokescreen now!" Typhlosion did as its trainer commanded and used the attack called Smokescreen, which involved the Pokémon igniting its fiery quills, creating a cloud of smoke that clouded itself, its trainer, and its trainer's partner from the sight of the charging Rockets.

The two men used this opportunity to escape undetected down one of the intersecting corridors. The man in the glasses withdrew his Typhlosion at that moment by firing a beam of red light from the Poké Ball he had earlier tossed, which he had now reclaimed. The beam captured Typhlosion, morphed it into red light, and withdrew it back into its spherical holster. The two men then arrived at a dead end, blocked by a black and yellow striped door with a small slot on a nearby control panel.

"I wonder if my old card key will still work," said the taller of the two men as he pulled out a card. He slipped the card into the slot, causing a red light to light up on the panel. "I guess I underestimated Kai's intelligence somewhat. He's apparently changed the lock since the last time I infiltrated this place years ago."

"Well, he was still stupid enough to keep the same hideout that his dad used," the man in the glasses retorted.

"Looks like I'm going to have to do things the unorthodox way," the other man continued as he expanded one of the Poké Balls on his belt. "Golem, break it down with Rollout!" With that, the man tossed the ball and Golem appeared in a flash of light. The boulder Pokémon cried its name as it curled into a ball and rolled at the door, busting it off its hinges and knocking it against the elevator door that it had previously concealed. The clatter caught the attention of the pursuing Rockets, who rushed through the fading smokescreen and charged at the two men. "Golem, use Fissure!" The Pokémon again cried its name as it punched the floor and created a crack, which managed to trap three of the five Rockets and drop them onto the floor one story below them, but two leaped over the newly formed crevice and tossed Poké Balls of their own.

"Sandslash, go!" one of the Rockets shouted as the hedgehog Pokémon emerged from the red and white ball.

"Go, Scyther!" the other shouted as the large mantis appeared.

The two Pokémon cried their names as they glared at their opponents, their claws glistening in the red flashing lights.

"Golem, return!" said the taller man as he withdrew Golem into its ball the same way his partner had done with his Typhlosion. "For this battle, I choose my oldest comrade: Blastoise!" The man switched Poké Balls and sent out a large blue turtle with two large cannons protruding from its shell.

"Typhlosion, go!" Again, the man in the glasses called for his Fire-type Pokémon.

"Heh, you don't see too many of that kind of Pokémon around these parts," one of the Rockets remarked.

"Yeah, those are indigenous to the Johto region, I hear," his partner said. "Whatever the case, it's a Fire-type, so leave this to Sandslash and me! Sandslash, use a Dig attack!"

Sandslash growled as it leaped into the hole earlier created by Golem and began to burrow through what remained of the floor toward Typhlosion. The Fire-type Pokémon looked at the steel tiles beneath itself and heard the thumping of its aggressor attempting to break through the floor, but to no avail.

"You Rockets aren't too smart, are you?" the man in the glasses laughed. "This just isn't the terrain for those kinds of attacks! Typhlosion, burn through the floor with an Ember attack!"

"Typhlosion!" the Pokémon cried as it breathed fire onto the floor, turning it red and weakening the structure. Eventually, Sandslash's claws managed to break through the part of the floor that Typhlosion had burned.

"Blastoise, fill that hole with a Hydro Pump!" the taller man ordered.

"Blastoise!" the Pokémon called out as it aimed its hydro cannons at the hole and shot a blast of water into it, sending Sandslash falling to the floor below it.

"Return, Sandslash!" the Rocket Grunt growled as he withdrew the monster by aiming the button his Poké Ball at the hole into which Sandslash had fallen.

"Scyther, use a Slash attack!" the other Rocket shouted. Scyther called its name as it charged at Blastoise, only for Typhlosion to slide in the way.

"Flamethrower now!" the man in glasses commanded. Typhlosion obeyed as fire again appeared from its body. The Pokémon then began to spit fire, charring the Bug and Flying Pokémon and halting its flight as it fell to the floor below.

"Scyther, return!" Again, the Grunt called his Pokémon back. The two Grunts reached for new Poké Balls when Blastoise grabbed one in each hand.

"Hey, no fair!" a Grunt shouted. "We're not through yet!"

"Well, we are," said the tall man. "We're not here to play games with you. This is war."

With that, Blastoise smacked the two Grunts' heads together, knocking them unconscious, and then dropped them to the floor. At that moment, Typhlosion moved the broken door out of the way of the elevator, allowing its trainer and his partner access.

"Return!" both trainers said as they withdrew their Pokémon. They then entered the elevator and the tall man pressed the button for the base level.

"The security here is surprisingly tame," the man in glasses commented. "It seems almost suspicious."

"Team Rocket has never been tight on security," his partner replied. "Personally, I find them overrated. I think people were just too afraid to stand up to them all those years ago. I, alone, took them down and defeated Giovanni on several occasions."

"From what I've heard, it sounds like they rarely did any serious damage. They abduct Pokémon, but I've only heard of one incident in which they actually harmed and killed a Pokémon."

"Marowak, right. Remember, though: they're no longer under Giovanni's command. Compared to his son, he's small time. Kai is the cruelest of the cruel. He's cruel to people and to Pokémon alike."

Before another word was spoken, the elevator doors opened. The two men stepped off and looked around the room in shock. They walked through a laboratory filled with Pokémon in cages. Many Pokémon were horribly deformed. Others were even deceased. The tall man quickly turned his head upon the sight of a Rattata eating the brain of another Rattata. The cages were filled with urine and feces as well as a minimal amount of food and water. Many of the Pokémon moaned, desperately wanting to be free.

"This is awful," the man in glasses muttered.

"Do you see what I mean?" said the tall man as he clenched his fists almost to the point of drawing blood. "Kai is incredibly negligent. He doesn't care if his Pokémon rot to death in their own filth. And now he's sunk to a new low and is performing illegal experiments on Pokémon. These must be the failures."

"This is worse than I ever imagined," the man in glasses said in horror. "Well, let's get them out of here!"

The tall man nodded as they both removed their backpacks and began dumping out empty Poké Balls. Each one grabbed and expanded two Poké Balls, one in each hand, then looked around at the many Pokémon in the room.

"Listen up!" the tall man shouted to the Pokémon. "I'm sure you all are dying to get out of here, right? Well, we're going to take you someplace safe where you'll have plenty of room to move around and plenty to eat! What we're going to do is put you inside these Poké Balls, which will then be transported to the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City. There, you will be freed and tended to by Pokémon nurses."

"How do we know that we can trust you?" an odd voice spoke out from within the crowd of Pokémon. Both men were confused.

"Who said that?" the tall man asked.

"Over here!"

The two men looked in the direction of the voice. Inside a cage, they saw a green Hitmonlee. Instead of the usual Hitmonlee eyes, however, its eyes were perfectly round, its pupils large, black, and round as well, leaving little white in the Pokémon's eyes. Another oddity to this Hitmonlee was the presence of large, bushy black eyebrows and three small eyelashes coming from the bottom of each eye. The two men approached the Hitmonlee in astonishment.

"Did you just—?" the taller man started.

"Speak?" the Hitmonlee replied. "I did. I know that I am different from other Pokémon."

"Team Rocket must have done this to you," said the man in glasses. "It's okay though. Different isn't necessarily bad. Look at it this way: you'd have a much easier time communicating with humans than most Pokémon."

"As if that matters to any human," the Pokémon scoffed.

"Hitmonlee, listen to me," said the tall man. "Not all humans are like the ones in Team Rocket. Team Rocket uses Pokémon for power and personal gain. There are people out there who love and care for Pokémon. If you'll just trust us, we'll take you someplace better."

"You wish to stuff me inside one of those tiny red and white balls? No thank you. I am better off in a cage."

"You won't be in the ball for very long," the tall man explained. "You will immediately be released from your ball upon transference to Fuchsia City. There's an extremely beautiful and kind woman waiting for you there. If you just saw her, I know you would trust her. Hers is not the face of someone who would inflict harm upon the innocent."

The Hitmonlee sighed as he scoped the room around him, or at least whatever he could see of it. Pokémon lay famished, some perhaps already dead. Many were diseased. Many were deformed. None of them had room to even stretch. Finally, he returned his gaze to the two men.

"Very well. I will cooperate."

The two men gazed at each other and nodded. With that, they began tossing Poké Balls at all the Pokémon in the room. None of the Pokémon resisted. As the balls hit the Pokémon, they opened up and absorbed the Pokémon in a flash of white light. The balls then began to disappear one by one until no Pokémon remained in the room.

"Mission accomplished," said the tall man to his comrade. "Now let's get out of here before—"

His sentence would have to go unfinished as Rocket Grunts filled the room and surrounded the two men. From out of the crowd of Rockets emerged a man with green eyes and brown hair wearing a white lab coat with an orange shirt, blue pants, and black shoes. The man bore a sinister grin as he confronted his two intruders.

"Isamu! Kinnosuke!" the man in the lab coat said in a sarcastically welcoming tone. "How nice of you to drop by! Thank you for relieving me of those trash Pokémon! I was going to dispose of them anyway, but your methods are probably more humane."

"Kai, you sick bastard!" shouted the tall man while clenching his fist.

The man in glasses then spoke, "We're here to shut down your operation! We've been given orders from the Pokémon Rescue Force for your arrest!"

"Why fight science?" asked Kai. "Science is not our enemy. Quite the contrary: it's our dear friend! How do you think Mewtwo, the strongest of all Pokémon, came to be? Through experimentation much like what you see here! With science, we can create an entire race of super Pokémon, a race far superior to anything this universe has ever known!"

"What we found here weren't super Pokémon!" replied the tall man. "What you're doing is disgusting and wrong and we won't stand for it!"

"You won't be happy until you've taken everything from me, will you, Isamu?" Kai retorted, looking in the direction of the tall man. "You stole my entire life, my future, all those years ago. Now you're taking my Pokémon, my experiments, too?"

"I get the feeling we haven't captured all of them though," replied Isamu, gritting his teeth. "Those were your failed experiments. Where are the others?"

"I'm afraid you're in the wrong place entirely for that. Team Rocket has relocated since the last time you infiltrated the Celadon City Game Corner all those years ago, during my father's reign as leader of Team Rocket." Kai bore a sinister grin as he pulled a remote control out of his pocket. Isamu and Kinnosuke's eyes widened in horror. "That's right. This was a death trap." Without another word, Kai pressed the button, again sounding the building's alarms and flashing its sirens.

"Self destruct sequence activated in T minus 10 seconds," a computerized feminine voice spoke over the intercom.

Kai glanced at one of the nearby Rocket Grunts and nodded. The Grunt tossed a Poké Ball, releasing an Alakazam. "Get us out of here! Teleport!" the Grunt shouted.

"Alaka!" the Pokémon cried as its eyes glowed a blue aura. With that, everyone in the room with the exceptions of Isamu and Kinnosuke was teleported out.

"Shit!" shouted Isamu. "Escape Plan One Delta, now!"

"What?!" replied an alarmed Kinnosuke.

"Oh whatever, I'll handle it!" Isamu tossed three Poké Balls, shouting the names of the resident Pokémon: "Blastoise! Golem! Rapidash! Go!" The turtle, the boulder, and horse all emerged from their spherical abodes by Isamu's command. "Rapidash, burn the floor with Flamethrower! Blastoise, Dig a tunnel where Rapidash blows her flames! Golem, create a Rock Slide over the hole once we've all gotten inside! Quickly!"

The Pokémon did not hesitate to act. After all, they had been trained for dangerous missions such as this one and they knew that survival was a race against time. The horse with the fiery mane spat a blaze of burning hydrocarbons at the metallic floor. Once the stream had ended, the large blue turtle smacked the weakened floor and began to dig in the dirt, quickly creating a tunnel at amazing speed. Isamu withdrew Rapidash into its Poké Ball, then grabbed Kinnosuke by the shirt collar and leapt into the hole behind Blastoise. At that moment, Golem jumped into the hole and pounded the ground, causing the rocks to cave in and cover the hole created by Isamu's other two Pokémon. This was done not a second too soon as the room from which the two men had escaped went up in flames at that very moment. On the ground level several stories above, many gamblers playing the slots felt the rumbling of what appeared to be an ordinary earthquake below them. Following emergency procedures, they began to take cover under the slot machines, not knowing that what was really happening beneath them was more than just tectonic plate movement.

Outside the Game Corner, Blastoise emerged from the ground, followed by his trainer, Kinnosuke, and Golem. All four panted heavily, moreso at the shock of their near death experience than at actual exhaustion from their hasty escape from certain death. Seeing the fatigue of his Pokémon, Isamu withdrew them into their Poké Balls, then looked at his partner.

"Well, I suppose that mission was partly a success and partly a failure," he said.

"We didn't get Kai, but the important thing is that we rescued all the Pokémon."

"Not all. That wasn't Team Rocket's true hideout. It isn't anymore, anyway, though that's what Kai wanted us to believe."

"Whatever the case, this mission is over. We should report back to Yuki and let him know what we've learned."

Isamu nodded. "I also need to return home to check on the Pokémon we captured… and of course, on Ayako."

Kinnosuke smiled. "So, how is she?"

"She's doing fine. How about Kiyomi?"

"She's as good as ever."

"That's good." Realizing that their conversation could go no further, Isamu withdrew a Poké Ball and sent out his Rapidash. He then climbed onto the horse's back, his partner climbing on behind him. "To the Pokémon Center!" Isamu commaned. Rapidash neighed and took off running.

Inside the Celadon City Pokémon Center, Isamu and Kinnosuke stood in front of a monitor phone, on which the image of a man with brown hair, a beard, and sideburns wearing a green hat was displayed.

"I see," he said. "Well, at least we have some sort of a lead. I'll keep my Kanto men on a lookout for Kai. The two of you have done well, so take a break for now. I will keep you both on standby. Yuki out!" With that, Yuki struck a dramatic pose, pulling his green and white cape in front of his face, at which moment the image of his face disappeared from the monitor.

"That Yuki is quite a character," Kinnosuke said with a smirk.

"That he is," Isamu agreed. "Well, I guess I should get you back to Vermilion Harbor so you can catch your ship."

Kinnosuke nodded. The two men then stepped outside of the Pokémon Center. The sky above them began to turn pink in the horizon as the sun sank into its slumber over the western horizon. Once again, Isamu pulled out a Poké Ball and called for another Pokémon.

"Pidgeot!" he shouted as a large bird appeared. The two men climbed on the bird as Isamu then ordered, "To Vermilion City!"

"Pidgeoh!" the bird cawed as it flapped its wings and took to the sky, flying southeast. The two men held on for dear life as the wind threatened to blow them off the bird's back, not that she would allow her trainer or his friend to fall to their deaths. Pidgeot flew at a speed of Mach 2 and was therefore able to arrive at her destination within minutes. The giant bird landed in front of the docks in Vermilion City, at which time Kinnosuke disembarked.

"Well, I'll see you around sometime," said Kinnosuke. "Maybe when this is all over, we can all hang out sometime for leisure."

"It's been a while since we've done that, hasn't it? It seems like it's always business these days."

"Final boarding call for Olivine City!" a female's voice spoke over the speakers surrounding the vicinity.

"Well, that's my ship. I'll see you later!"

"Have a safe trip!" replied Isamu as he waved to his friend.

With that, Kinnosuke pulled out his ticket and headed down the dock. Isamu then looked back at Pidgeot.

"Let's go home," he said with a smile, thinking of the treasure that awaited him back home.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Chapter 1 seems to have gotten relatively positive responses. Please bear with me as I introduce the main characters and set up the major premises of the story in these next few chapters. The action will pick up in a few chapters.

Chapter 2

It was a quiet afternoon in Fuchsia City's Safari Zone. Rhyhorn munched on grass, herds of Tauros stampeded across the plains, mother Kangaskhan fed their babies. Everything was peaceful. This calm was brought to an abrupt end with the shattering of glass.

"Cuuuuubooooone!" a baby Pokémon cried from within its cage. A few feet away, several Safari Zone attendants emerged from a building with a broken window, one of whom carried the bone typically used by the Pokémon's species.

"It's that Cubone again!" one of the attendants shouted to the others over the sound of the Cubone's bawling. "Ever since its mother disappeared, it's been crying and throwing fits."

A female attendant picked up the baby Cubone and began rocking it in her arms, but that only caused it to cry twice as loudly. Several attendants clamped their hands over their ears in order to try and block the piercing noise.

"Where is Ayako?!" the Safari Zone Warden demanded. "This Pokémon is her responsibility!"

Just then, a girl with long brown hair and hazel eyes ran to the Cubone's cage, panting heavily. The girl wore a blue t-shirt and black pants. She held a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. Upon her arrival, Cubone's crying ceased as he jumped out of the attendant's arms, grabbed his bone from one of the other nearby attendants, and leapt happily into the arms of the girl.

"It's about damn time!" the Warden ranted. "You know Cubone is your responsibility!"

"I'm sorry," the girl replied. "A ton of new Pokémon just arrived and I'm trying to get them all comfortable." She began to massage Cubone's muscles, soothing the Pokémon and putting it to sleep. "If he cries again, give him this." Ayako reached into her pocket and pulled out a bottle of milk, which she then handed to the Safari Zone Warden. She then set the sleeping Pokémon down in its nest and ran off to tend to the newly arrived Pokémon.

Ayako looked down the list on her clipboard, writing a check next to the name of each Pokémon as she tended to it. Her tasks involved finding a containment facility for each Pokémon based on its type (for example, if it was a Water type, she would have to find it a cage containing ample water for it to swim around in), supplying the Pokémon with ample food and water, and determining if some Pokémon, based on their health upon arrival, would need to be euthanized. Though the Safari Zone itself was peaceful for the most part this afternoon, the zoo outside of the Safari Zone was rather hectic due to all the new arrivals, and Ayako was working harder than any of the other attendants there. On one hand, she loved Pokémon and enjoyed taking care of them. On the other hand, her boss and co-workers were lazy and ungrateful for the hard work she put into her job. After several minutes, Ayako finally reached the last Pokémon on the list: a Hitmonlee. Next to his name, a note was scribbled reading "deformed, may need to be euthanized." Ayako certainly hoped not. Though she had been doing it for years, it never became any easier having to end a Pokémon's life. Ready to finish her day's work, Ayako entered the Safari Zone office building to retrieve the Poké Ball containing the final Pokémon of the day. She took the ball and sought out an empty cage in the Fighting Pokémon portion of the zoo. In each of the cages, the Primeape and Machoke and Poliwrath and other Fighting Pokémon were accompanied by a dummy so that they may practice boxing. Eventually, Ayako came upon an empty cage, at which time she tossed the Poké Ball and released the Pokémon inside. Out emerged the green Hitmonlee with the round eyes, the large pupils, and the bushy eyebrows.

"Wow! A shiny Hitmonlee!" Ayako exclaimed. "His face is very strange, but his defects don't appear to be detrimental to his health."

"I do not appreciate having my appearance ridiculed," the Hitmonlee scorned. "To me, you are strange-looking as well."

Ayako gasped. "You can talk?!"

"As you may have guessed, I am no ordinary Pokémon. Now may I please inquire as to my whereabouts?"

"This is the Safari Zone. My name is Ayako. I'm your attendant. I will supply you with food and water on a daily basis. This is your cage. You can practice sparring with that dummy over there."

Hitmonlee looked around his cage. "You expect me to stay confined within this cage?"

"It's not considered safe for Pokémon to wander freely around the zoo. Humans often come here and they may feel endangered by Pokémon being loose in the zoo."

Lee's expression grew angry. "Humans feel endangered by Pokémon?! It is humans who have done this to us! And now you lock us in cages because you are afraid of us?! That man told me that he would rescue us! And yet you want to trap us inside cages as well! You are no better than Team Rocket!"

"That's not true!" Ayako pleaded. "Many humans are friendly to Pokémon! It's just that… I can't let you out of here for right now, but I promise I'll be back to feed you!"

Ayako locked eyes with the Hitmonlee. He still did not trust her fully, but he could somehow feel that she was different from the humans he had previously known.

"Perhaps… it is fate," said Hitmonlee as he sat down in the corner of his cage. "This is the life I am destined to live. I was born a failed experiment and that is how I shall die."

"That isn't true," Ayako tried to reason with the depressed Pokémon, but he would not listen.

"Just leave me alone," he said. Ayako sighed and did as she was asked, locking the cage door before heading back to the office to clock out. Hitmonlee looked at the dummy in his cage. In his anger, he kicked the dummy as hard as he could, barely causing it to bob back and forth. "I am incredibly weak," he sighed.

Ayako stepped out of the office just as the sun began to set in the direction of Cycling Road. As she headed to her house, which was located directly in front of the Safari Zone zoo, very near Cubone's cage, she heard a faint but familiar sound coming from the sky. The sound had begun to bring joy to her ears due to the association she held with it. Slowly, the sound grew louder.

"Pidgeohhhhhhh!" she heard as a Pidgeot grew closer to the ground. From the north emerged the large bird with a human on its back. Ayako's frown shifted to a smile after a long, stressful, and depressing day of work. It was the highlight of her night.

"Isamu's home!" she shouted as her eyes lit up.

Pidgeot landed in front of Ayako as Isamu slid down her back. He then withdrew the giant bird into her Poké Ball.

"I'm back!" he said happily as Ayako ran into his arms and the two shared a hug and a kiss. "So, how was your day?"

"Busy," Ayako replied. "About half of the Pokémon you sent back had to be put to sleep. More than anything, though, I just can't get over this one Hitmonlee."

"The talking one?"

"Yes."

"He's quite an interesting case. How is he?"

"His spirit is completely broken. I feel bad for him. I wish there was something I could do for him. If only there was some way he could live a normal Pokémon's life. He doesn't seem like a failed experiment to me."

"Well, Kai certainly thought so. All the Pokémon at the Celadon Game Corner were deemed by Team Rocket to be failed experiments and were to be killed."

Ayako clenched her fists. "I'll never forgive Kai for everything he's done. He's the cause of all of this."

"And he damn near killed Kinnosuke and me," Isamu added. "Let's go inside. I'll tell you everything."

Isamu put an arm around Ayako and walked with her into their wooden house as the sky dimmed into the darkness of the night. All night long, Ayako could not stop thinking about the talking Hitmonlee. What could she do to change his mindset?


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: It's been a while since I updated this fanfic. I've had little time to do anything constructive as I've been busy trying to finish up college (I should be done by this December), changing jobs, and just having a life. I'll try to update more in the summer though. For now, here's Chapter 3!

Chapter 3

It was a new day in Fuchsia City. Isamu awoke to the sounds of Pidgey chirping outside his window. He was alone in the queen-sized bed, leaving him to assume that Ayako had already gone to work. He was relieved to have a day off and felt that he could work on training his Pokémon in preparation for his next mission, whenever that would be.

Ayako sat on a stool inside Cubone's cage, holding Cubone like a baby in her lap while feeding him a special Pokémon formula from a bottle. Cubone sucked away at the milk-like substance contently. Ayako smiled in contentment as Cubone fell asleep in her arms. She loved being a mother, whether biological or surrogate, as it made her feel needed. As she set the sleeping Pokémon down in its nest, she then remembered the talking Hitmonlee from the previous day.

_"It is humans who have done this to us!"_ Ayako remembered the Pokémon exclaiming._ "And now you lock us in cages because you are afraid of us?! That man told me that he would rescue us! And yet you want to trap us inside cages as well! You are no better than Team Rocket!"_

Ayako quietly walked out of Cubone's cage, locking the door behind her, and headed to the Fighting Pokémon portion of the Safari Zone Zoo. When she arrived at the green Hitmonlee's cage, he was lying on his back. She could not tell if he was sleeping or passed out, but he at least seemed to be breathing. She then looked at his feet and noticed that his sharp toes were red.

_Was he up all night practicing his kicking?_ Ayako wondered. She then looked at the dummy in the cage, which was slightly tattered, but certainly not as badly beat up as most of the dummies that were kept in Fighting Pokémon's cages.

Without another thought, Ayako unlocked the cage and entered with a bag of Pokémon food. The rattling of the metal cage door woke the sleeping Hitmonlee, who sat up, his feet too sore for him to stand immediately.

"I'm sorry," said Ayako. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It is all right," the Hitmonlee replied. "I am rather hungry."

"You must be if you've been up all night kicking that dummy."

Hitmonlee clenched his fists. "I do not know what I even bothered. No matter how hard I try, my kicks never get any stronger. I was simply not meant to be strong."

"That's not true," Ayako pleaded as she poured the Pokémon food into a dish. "You can't expect results overnight. You just have to keep at it. Every Pokémon, no matter how weak, is able to become strong through sheer willpower and effort."

"Your words are inspiring, but this is reality. I am not a regular Pokémon. I have been experimented on since I was a Tyrogue. According to Team Rocket's expert scientists, I would never amount to anything. I am a failed experiment. That is my fate."

Ayako set Hitmonlee's dish in front of him so that he would not have to walk to it on his sore legs. Hitmonlee began to eat as Ayako said to him, "Well, I feel you should keep trying anyway. You have nothing to lose, right?"

Hitmonlee sighed. "I suppose you are right about that. I have nothing to live for."

"That's not quite what I meant!"

"It is all right. If I can become stronger… then maybe I will have a reason for living."

Ayako smiled. "I believe in you. You should take it easy until your legs heal though. I'll be back later to check on you. I have to go check on the Pokémon in the breeding center now."

Ayako headed for the cage door when she heard shifting behind her. Turning back around, she saw Hitmonlee standing up, his legs wobbling but managing to hold the Pokémon up through sheer determination.

"Maybe I… accompany you?" he asked.

Ayako knew she should tell him no, and yet she admired his resolve. "I'm not supposed to let you out of your cage, but—" she stopped when she saw the look of disappointment on the Pokémon's face. "You don't appear to be dangerous. I suppose you can come with me if you'd like. Just don't wander off!"

"Thank you, Miss Ayako," said Hitmonlee with a bow.

"Just call me Ayako."

Hitmonlee walked with Ayako across the zoo to the breeding center just outside of the zoo's southern entrance. This part of the Safari Zone had only recently been built and was the first public breeding center in all of Kanto. Ayako and Hitmonlee, rather than entering through the front door, walked around to the back, where Ayako entered a password into a pinpad to open the gate to the backyard, where many Pokémon couples, from Nidoran of both genders to Psyduck, Doduo, and other trainer's Pokémon frolicked in an artificial environment complete with grass, trees, caves, rugged terrain, and salt and fresh water ponds. Ayako walked around checking on all the Pokémon, refilling their food and water supplies as needed, while Hitmonlee gazed around in awe.

"This is… spectacular!" he said. "So trainers leave their Pokémon here to mate?"

"That's right," replied Ayako. "We have to make sure certain conditions are met so that the Pokémon have a healthy and happy environment for mating in."

"This is not at all like Team Rocket's breeding center. There, Pokémon were forced to mate under harsh circumstances and many Pokémon were punished simply for being infertile. Here, you allow Pokémon to mate freely and naturally."

"Like I told you before, not all humans are as bad as Team Rocket. My husband is one of many working to put a stop to Team Rocket's savagery."

"Perhaps I should not be so judgmental. Some humans, such as your husband, are risking their lives for us Pokémon."

As Ayako and Hitmonlee approached the salt water pond, Ayako gasped at what she saw. "It's happened!"

"What has happened?" asked Hitmonlee.

"I have to find Isamu! Come on, Lee! I'll show you the way to my house!" With that, Ayako dashed out the gate entrance.

Hitmonlee stood in place stunned for a few seconds. "Lee?" he pondered. He then ran off to catch up with Ayako.

The girl and the Pokémon did not have far to run as Ayako and Isamu's house was merely down the block from the breeding center. When they arrived, Ayako prepared to enter the front door when she heard noise coming from the backyard. _Isamu must be training his Pokémon,_ she thought. She then guided Hitmonlee to the backyard and opened the gate, where they indeed found Isamu along with six Pokémon: Blastoise, Electabuzz, Golem, Pidgeot, Rapidash, and Exeggutor. Not noticing his visitors, Isamu continued giving orders to his Pokémon.

"Electabuzz, use Thunder Punch! Blastoise, avoid the attack by going underground!"

Electabuzz growled as it charged at Blastoise, electricity sizzling around its fist. Blastoise quickly spun around rapidly and managed to dig a hole, narrowly avoiding Electabuzz's attack.

"Now, Blastoise, use a Dig attack! Pidgeot, save Electabuzz by lifting it into the air!"

"Pidgeoh!" Pidgeot swooped down rapidly and grabbed Electabuzz in its talons, then soared into the air, narrowly avoiding Blastoise's uppercut attack as it emerged from the ground. Pidgeot then released Electabuzz onto the ground below as it prepared to swoop at Blastoise.

"Fly attack now, Pidgeot! Blastoise, guard yourself with Withdraw!"

"Blastoise!" the turtle cried as its limbs, head, and tail retreated into its shell, shielding it from Pidgeot's high-speed aerial attack.

The entire time, Hitmonlee watched Isamu's Pokémon in fascination. "The way you train your Pokémon… it is incredible! They are all very strong and skilled!"

At that moment, Isamu turned around and saw Ayako with the talking Hitmonlee.

"Hey, what are you two doing here? Shouldn't you be at the Safari Zone Zoo?"

"We were," replied Ayako, "but there's something we need to show you! Come with us!"

"All right," said Isamu as he pulled out six Poké Balls. "You guys can take a breather for right now. Return!" Red beams emerged from all six of the red and white balls, capturing the six Pokémon and sucking them into their spherical containments.

Isamu then followed Ayako and the shiny Hitmonlee back to the breeding center. Ayako then guided her husband and the Pokémon to the salt water pond, where a female Blastoise lay holding an egg.

"An egg!" Isamu gasped. "My… my Blastoise is going to be a father soon!"

"So that Blastoise is your Blastoise's mate?" asked Hitmonlee.

"If you must know, that's not actually a Blastoise," replied Isamu. The Blastoise began to glow as it reverted into a pink blob.

"Ditto!" the Pokémon exclaimed.

"Oh, I see. It is a Ditto."

Isamu nodded as he tossed a Poké Ball, releasing his Blastoise, whom Ditto again transformed into. The two Pokémon then lay down together next to their egg.

"Due to its ability to shapeshift," Isamu continued, "Ditto can breed with any Pokémon."

"Breeders call it the wild card of Pokémon breeding," Ayako added. "Blastoise is a very rare Pokémon as is and female Blastoise are exceptionally rare. Ditto is very helpful for trainers who want to breed rare Pokémon."

"Your species," Isamu said to Hitmonlee, "only comes in a male variety. When two Pokémon breed, the offspring tends to be the same species as the mother. Therefore, it's extremely difficult to breed a Tyrogue without a Ditto."

"I do not know what kinds of Pokémon my parents were," said Hitmonlee, looking to the ground sadly.

Isamu and Ayako were silent, feeling the vibe that this was not a topic which Hitmonlee wished to discuss.

"You know, Isamu," Ayako said, finally breaking the silence, "Hina's tenth birthday is coming up."

Isamu nodded. "I still can't believe it's been almost a decade since _we_ became parents."

"Hina? Is that your offspring?" asked Hitmonlee.

Ayako nodded. "Hina is our daughter. She's at school today. She loves Pokémon and has been looking forward to the day when she can become a Pokémon trainer for a long time."

"And now," added Isamu, "she will soon have her very own Pokémon. I want her to use the Squirtle that hatches from this egg."

"That is so beautiful!" Hitmonlee exclaimed as tears streamed from his eyes. "The trainer's offspring teaming up with the offspring of her father's first Pokémon! It is like destiny can be beautiful sometimes!"

Ayako and Isamu were surprised by how emotional Hitmonlee had suddenly gotten. Isamu then laughed.

"I guess you could call it destiny in a way," he said, "but to be perfectly honest, this was all planned. In preparation for Hina's birthday, I bred my Blastoise with my Ditto so that Hina could have the same starter Pokémon that I had."

"I see," said Hitmonlee. "It is as if… you are in control of your own destinies!"

"Of course we are!" replied Isamu. "That's not to say that we've always gotten everything we ever wanted out of life, but with enough determination, I'd say just about anything is possible. For example, I'm married to the woman of my dreams, but winning her heart wasn't easy!" Ayako cracked a smile. "Even now, I still have a goal that I'm working towards. With the right amount of effort, I believe I can stop Team Rocket's plans."

Hitmonlee's bushy eyebrows half covered his large, round eyes. He had a more determined look than anything Ayako or Isamu had ever seen from him before.

"It is decided then!" he exclaimed. "Ayako-sensei!"

"Sensei?" Ayako was confused.

"I hereby request that you take me on as your pupil! Your words and everything you have shown me today have inspired me to not give up! I believe that with enough hard work, a failed experiment such as myself can still be a strong Pokémon! I want to make you proud, Ayako-sensei!"

Ayako was stunned. "I'm speechless, Lee. But… all right then! I accept your request. From this day forward, I am your trainer!"

"Woo hoo!" the Hitmonlee, now apparently called Lee, cheered as he began leaping in the air. "I shall do my happy dance!" Lee began to dance around, much to the bewilderment of Isamu, Blastoise, and Ditto. Ayako, however, disregarded the strangeness of Lee's behavior and smiled. She was happy to know that she had brought hope to a depressed Pokémon's life.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was approximately 3 pm in Fuchsia City. Isamu enjoyed a mid-afternoon snack of Aspear Berries while waiting for his daughter Hina to return from school. His Pokémon, all of whom were out of their Poké Balls, were nearby eating Pokémon chow from pet food dishes. In the backyard, Ayako, who was now home for the day, had begun training her newest Pokémon, the shiny, bushy-browed Hitmonlee she called Lee.

"You're a Hitmonlee, so kicking is your specialty," said Ayako. "To start you off, we need to strengthen your legs. I want you to give me one hundred leg squats!"

"Yes ma'am, Ayako-sensei!" Lee replied. Without hesitation, Lee began speedily squatting up and down, counting each squat. After about ten squats, he began sweating profusely, but through sheer determination, he continued for as long as he could. When he reached twenty-five, his legs finally gave out and he collapsed.

Ayako gasped as she ran to help Lee up. "Lee! Are you all right? Perhaps one hundred was too many for right now."

"No, you must not go easy on me!" Lee insisted. "You set a goal for me, and until I can reach that goal, I am not to rest!"

"You shouldn't push yourself, Lee, even if it means going at a slower pace than other Pokémon. Your training will be for nothing if you hurt yourself so badly that you can't even stand." Ayako helped Lee to stand, his legs still fairly weak. "Why don't you come inside and have some dinner? You can continue your training after you've worked your strength back up."

"Very well, Ayako-sensei," Lee sighed, disappointed in himself.

Ayako helped Lee to walk back inside and into the kitchen where Isamu and his Pokémon were finishing their dinner. Ayako pulled an extra bowl out of the cabinet and filled it with the same generic Pokémon chow that Isamu's Pokémon had been eating and handed it to Lee. Lee began eating the food slowly and unenthusiastically.

"This food… it is so bland," he commented. "But, if it will help me get stronger, I will eat as much as I can."

It was at that moment that Lee noticed the bowl full of differently-colored berries sitting on the kitchen table from which Isamu had been eating.

"May I ask what those are?"

"These? They're berries," said Isamu. "There are many different flavors. The kind I'm eating are Aspear Berries. They're very sour. We also have Cheri Berries, which are spicy. Those are Ayako's favorites."

"I see," replied Lee. "May I try a Cheri Berry?"

"Are you sure?" asked Ayako. "Like he said, they're very spicy. I just happen to really like spicy foods."

"If they are good enough for you, sensei, then they are good enough for me!"

"Okay, but eat it slowly," Isamu advised as he handed one of the round red berries to Lee.

Lee slipped the berry under his mask and into his mouth. He began to slowly chew. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and his eyebrows rose. Lee then began chewing faster and quickly swallowed. "That was delicious!" he exclaimed. "May I have more?"

"Sure," replied a surprised Ayako. "Take as many as you like."

"Thank you, I will!" Lee's manners ended there as he began rapidly pulling Cheri Berries out of the bowl and stuffing them into his mouth, his face turning red and beads of sweat running down his face. "They are so spicy," he muffled while chewing, "but they are also quite delicious!"

"I never thought I'd see the day I met someone who loves spicy food more than you, Ayako," Isamu joked.

Before long, the fruit bowl had been completely depleted of Cheri Berries, much to Lee's, and Ayako's, dismay. However, Lee was quite satisfied with the meal he had just had.

"Ayako-sensei! I feel I am ready to continue my training!" Lee shouted adamantly as he saluted. "If I cannot complete one hundred leg squats, it is two hundred sit ups!"

"You seem confident," said Ayako. "Very well then. Let's get back to work!"

Lee rushed out the backdoor and began performing leg squats even more rapidly than before. Ayako watched in bewilderment. She had never seen a Pokémon so determined to train hard. To her astonishment, Lee did not seem to wear out this time. It was as if he had become a whole new Pokémon just by eating those Cheri Berries.

"Judging by his behavior and his love for spicy food," said Isamu as he walked into the backyard, his Pokémon withdrawn into their Poké Balls, "I would say he has an adamant nature."

"You're probably right," replied Ayako.

"Ninety-seven! Ninety-eight! Ninety-nine!" Lee prepared to do his final squat when he suddenly stopped. He then fell onto his back.

"Lee!" Ayako gasped. "You pushed yourself again! Perhaps you should have gone slower. That's enough for today. You can come inside now."

"No. I made a commitment. If I could not do one hundred leg squats, it was two hundred sit ups. I shall not shirk my training. Since I have failed to complete the one hundred required leg squats, I will now do two hundred sit ups. Ready! Begin!" Just as rapidly as before, Lee began performing sit ups, counting each one. Ayako and Isamu were stunned.

"He didn't do that last leg squat on purpose," Ayako observed. "He just wanted an excuse to have to keep training."

"Well, one thing's for sure," said Isamu. "We're going to have to buy a lot more Cheri Berries! We can stop by the Poké Mart after Hina gets home."

"I'm home," a soft, high feminine voice said as a third human entered the backyard. She had short brown hair and hazel eyes like her mother's. She wore a dark blue t-shirt and dark blue Capri pants. She had a tan bookbag on her back.

"Welcome home, Hina!" Isamu said enthusiastically as he and Ayako hugged their daughter. When they released their hug, Hina noticed the strange new Pokémon in her family's backyard.

"Um… who is that?" she inquired shyly.

"This is Lee, which is the nickname I've given to the Hitmonlee your father rescued from Team Rocket yesterday," Ayako replied. "I felt a Pokémon this special deserved a nickname."

Lee abruptly stopped his sit ups and stood up to introduce himself. "Hello. You must be Hina, Ayako-sensei and Isamu-sama's daughter. It is a pleasure to meet you." Lee took a bow.

"Y-you can talk?!"

"I apologize. I did not mean to startle you."

"He can talk as a result of Team Rocket's genetic experiments," Isamu explained. "That's also why his face is different from that of an ordinary Hitmonlee. I don't know if Team Rocket's experiments have anything to do with the fact that he's green instead of brown since shiny Hitmonlee are green."

"He is certainly a fascinating Pokémon," said Hina.

"We should keep this between the three of us though," Isamu interjected. "By Pokémon Rescue Force policy, ordinary people are not allowed to know about Lee's origins or those of any of the other Pokémon Kinnosuke and I rescued. This is for their own protection. Lee, I suggest you not say anything other than your own species name around anyone other than Ayako, Hina, me, or another Rescue Force operative."

"I understand," Lee replied. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must resume my training. I stopped at one-hundred and ninety-nine sit ups. Because I failed to complete them, I must now perform three-hundred pushups. Ready! Begin!"

Again, Lee dropped to the ground and began performing his over-the-top exercises, much to the amazement of Hina, although her parents had both grown used to this behavior by that point. Hina felt inspired by Lee's determination. She had never seen a Pokémon work so hard.

"I can't wait until my tenth birthday," she said. "I look forward to training my very own Pokémon."

"That reminds me!" said Isamu. "Hina, your mother and I have a surprise for you! Follow us to the breeding center!"

Hina gasped. "Could it be?"

"That's right," Ayako replied with a smile. "Ditto produced an egg with Blastoise. Soon, a baby Squirtle will hatch and it'll be all yours!"

"I'd like to see the egg," said Hina.

"Of course," replied Isamu. "We have to get some groceries anyway. We'll stop by the breeding center on the way to the Poké Mart."

"Lee, we're going to go pick up some more Cheri Berries," said Ayako. "You wanna come with?"

"No thank you. I must continue my training! I will not stop until you have returned, at which time I will replenish my strength with the amazing power of the Cheri Berries!"

Ayako chuckled. "All right then. Don't wear yourself out. In fact, perhaps I should leave one of my other Pokémon here to supervise your training and to keep you from pushing yourself. He can even act as your training buddy." Ayako reached for a Poké Ball from her belt, expanded it, and tossed it into the backyard. In a flash of white light, a large cerulean-colored toad-like creature emerged with a poisonous flower on its back.

"Venusaur!" it roared.

"Venusaur," commanded Ayako, "I want you to watch over this Hitmonlee's training. Don't let him push himself too far. If you'd like, the two of you can train together, though I have to ask that you go easy on him as you're a lot stronger than he is."

"Saur!" the Grass-and-Poison Pokémon replied affirmatively.

As Lee continued his pushups under Venusaur's watchful eye, the three humans headed out the gate and toward the Fuchsia City breeding center. Upon arrival, Ayako opened the gate and the family entered the artificial Pokémon environment. Ayako and Isamu guided Hina to her new egg, under the incubatory care of Isamu's Ditto, still transformed into a female Blastoise. Hina's eyes lit up with excitement.

"It's finally happening!" she said softly yet ecstatically. "In just a few more days, I'll have my very own Pokémon!"

"Me too!" another voice came from behind the family.

Isamu, Ayako, and Hina turned around to see two almost identical girls, one tall and one short, standing behind them. The older woman had short blonde hair and blue eyes and wore a yellow baby doll t-shirt and a light blue mini skirt. The other girl had long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail and green eyes and wore a white t-shirt and dark blue shorts. Hina smiled lightly at their presence while Isamu grew uncomfortable and Ayako struggled to contain her hatred.

"Hello, Konan," said Hina to the younger female.

"Hello, Reichi," said Isamu to the older of the two.

"Hi," Ayako added unenthusiastically.

"Long time, no see, Ayako!" Reichi greeted in a bubbly and outgoing manner, hugging Ayako tight. Ayako lightly hugged back just to be polite. Reichi then released the hug. "And hello to you as well, Isamu!" Reichi hugged Isamu even tighter. Isamu did not resist and hugged back, trying neither to be rude nor overly affectionate. Nevertheless, Ayako was disgusted by the sight of this woman hugging her husband, even more disgusted than she had been when she herself was hugged. Reichi then released the hug and patted Hina on the head. "And how are you, sweetheart?"

"I-I'm well, thank you," Hina replied.

"Good! I assume you know what I'm here about, right Isamu?"

Isamu nodded. "Your Pikachu recently produced an egg."

"All right!" Konan cheered. "Now I'll soon have my very own Pokémon too!"

Ayako was surprised. "I didn't know Reichi's Pikachu was here. How did you know? I'm the one who works here."

"When you were cleaning the zoo cages the other day," Isamu explained, "Reichi asked if I would let her breed her Pikachu with my Ditto. I guess I forgot to tell you."

Ayako was again disgusted, as if Isamu and Reichi themselves had bred rather than their Pokémon. For the sake of maintaining civility, however, she tried her best to hide her disgust with sarcasm. "Wow, you forced your Ditto to mate with a male Blastoise and with a female Pikachu? Poor thing. You've made it into a bisexual prostitute!"

"Isamu always thought he was a pimp," Reichi joked, nudging Isamu playfully, again to Ayako's disgust. She could not stand to see this girl make any kind of physical contact with her husband, however mild.

Sensing Ayako's jealousy, Isamu figured that he needed to get rid of Reichi as quickly as possible. "Pikachu and the egg are this way," he said as he guided the two blondes to a small, grassy area of the yard, where a Pikachu lay incubating her egg. "A baby Pichu should hatch within a week. If you'd like, you can take Pikachu and the egg home tonight. Just pay inside."

"Thank you for all your help! You've been really sweet!" Reichi said flirtingly as she hugged Isamu again and kissed him on the cheek. She then picked up her Pokémon, whom she hugged affectionately, pressing it into her breasts, then headed to the breeding center building while Konan picked up the egg. Konan stopped and looked at Hina.

"Once our Pokémon hatch, you and I must battle!" she said. She then followed her mother inside.

"O-okay," replied Hina. "I guess."

Isamu wiped his cheek where Reichi had kissed him, then looked at Ayako. "I'm sorry. I couldn't control her. I—"

"It's not your fault," Ayako said softly, her head turned away. Isamu caught a glimpse of what he thought to be a tear gliding down Ayako's cheek. "Let's just get the egg and go to the Poké Mart."

Isamu sighed. "Let's go, Hina."

With that, he withdrew Ditto into its Poké Ball while Hina picked up the egg. They then walked inside to pay, but Ayako stayed in the backyard to avoid another confrontation with Reichi. She stared at the waterfall as it splashed into the small pond where Ditto had previously been lying with its egg. Looking into the water, she saw the ripples distort her reflection. The water diluted her facial features and her imagination further disfigured her even further.

_I know I wasn't his first choice_, she thought. _So many other girls have much more to offer than I do. I don't want to lose him, but as long as I look like this, every girl is a threat, especially Reichi._

Ayako then began to reflect on the irony of Hina and Konan's relationship.

_Hina has been friends with Reichi's bastard daughter since their first days at the Pokémon Trainers' Academy. Now it seems like Konan is developing a competitive spirit against Hina. How strange it would be if my daughter's rival ended up being the daughter of my own rival. Hina is fortunate to have her father's good looks, and Konan probably has Reichi's brains, or lack thereof. I hope Hina will prevail in love and in Pokémon._

Before Ayako's thoughts could wander any further, Isamu and Hina, egg in tow, returned. Ayako joined them as they exited the breeding center and headed south.

"What else do we need at the Poké Mart besides Cheri Berries?" asked Isamu, trying to get Ayako's mind off of Reichi.

"I don't know," said Ayako.

"Well, if we see anything we need while we're there, we can pick it up."

The rest of the trip was silent. Hina could not stop staring at her egg. After nearly ten years, her lifelong dream was almost literally within her grasp; she would soon have a Pokémon of her very own. Ayako saw the gleam in Hina's eyes, wishing that the day she had got her first Pokémon had been as exciting.

-------------------------------------

"Wake up, cutie!" a young Kai urged as he pushed Ayako, who had been sleeping comfortably in her bed. "Rise and shine! Today's the big day!"

Ayako rubbed her fingers in her eyes as she sat up. No sooner than she arose did Kai begin kissing her uncontrollably. She began to edge away, though he took no hint. After what seemed an eternity, he stopped.

"Today's the day Professor Oak is giving away free Pokémon to beginning trainers!" Kai continued. "But we have to hurry! Apparently, they're going fast! According to the report on TV, there's only one of each kind left!"

"All right," Ayako said shyly.

"We can shower when we get back! Get your shoes on! Hurry!"

Ayako brushed her hair a bit, sprayed on some perfume, and slipped her shoes on. Kai, however, did not care how he looked or smelled and merely put on his shoes. Together, they headed across Pallet Town toward Professor Oak's lab.

"So, what Pokémon are you going to choose, cutie?" asked Kai.

"I'm thinking Bulbasaur," she replied softly.

"Bulbasaur?! No offense, cutie, but that's not a very good choice. You should get a Charmander."

"I think I'd rather have a Bulbasaur."

"I just want what's best for you, cutie! You know that, right?"

"I guess. I'd just rather pick out a Pokémon myself."

"We can pick one out together!"

Ayako stayed calm, though underneath she was growing annoyed at the way her boyfriend treated her like a child. "You can have whichever Pokémon you want."

"I'd get Charmander, but I want you to have it, cutie!"

"You can have Charmander. I'll get Bulbasaur."

At that moment, the couple arrived at the lab, at which time they encountered Reichi. Ayako grew depressed and annoyed at the sight of her, but she attempted to be civil.

"Kai!" Reichi shouted as she gave Kai a hug, completely disregarding Ayako. "Are you here to get a Pokémon too?"

"Yup, one for myself and one for my cutie! I hope you like Squirtle."

"Actually, I got Professor Oak to reserve a special Pokémon for me!" Reichi gloated. "I'm just so awesome like that!"

"Ahhhh, I'm going to be late!" a young Isamu shouted as he ran to the lab panting heavily. Ayako lightly smiled at Isamu's presence. "Oh no, three trainers are already here! All right, one of us has to go home without a Pokémon! Sorry, Kai, that's you. Go home."

"Why me?! I was here before you!"

"Because you and Ayako live together. You can share a Pokémon."

"Why don't you and Reichi share a Pokémon?" Kai remarked suggestively. Ayako's smile quickly changed to a frown.

"No! Pikachu is mine and mine alone!" shouted Reichi.

"Pikachu?!" said Isamu. "How come she's getting a Pikachu?"

"She made a special request and Professor Oak honored it," replied Kai.

"It's only because she's hot!" Isamu joked. Ayako become really depressed.

"Damn straight!" Reichi gloated.

At that moment, the front doors of the lab opened and Professor Oak emerged.

"Welcome, everyone! Come on in and take a look at what I've got!"

The four junior trainers entered the lab and Professor Oak led them to a table with three Poké Balls.

"Here are my last remaining Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. Reichi, I have your Pikachu right here." Professor Oak pulled out a Poké Ball and handed it to Reichi.

"Thank you so much, Professor Oak!" said Reichi as she tooked her Poké Ball, hugged the professor, and pecked him on the cheek. She then skipped out of the lab, Ayako watching her in annoyance.

"My cutie and I will take a Charmander, please!" said Kai.

"Here you are," said Oak as he picked up the appropriate Poké Ball and handed it to Kai.

"Uh, Charmander will be Kai's Pokémon," Ayako interjected. "I'd like a Bulbasaur."

"As you wish." Oak handed Ayako the appropriate Poké Ball. "That leaves Squirtle for you, Isamu." Oak handed the last Poké Ball to Isamu.

"Squirtle is fine with me," he said.

"Would you like to trade, cutie?" Kai asked Ayako. "I'll take Bulbasaur if you'd rather have Charmander."

"That's okay, Kai. I'd much rather have Bulbasaur."

"Charmander's much better! Fire types are generally more useful than Grass types!"

Even Isamu began to grow annoyed by Kai. "Did you not hear her before?!" he shouted. "She said she wanted Bulbasaur!"

Ayako felt an anger even deeper than what Isamu was displaying, though she again remained calm in her explanation: "The first few gym leaders we'll encounter use Pokémon types that are strong against Fire and weak against Grass. Bulbasaur would be more useful at the beginning. Besides, I'd rather make my own decisions." Ayako could not hold back making a quip of some sort.

"What's the matter, cutie? Do you want to break up with me, cutie? I still love you as much as I always have!"

-------------------------------------

Ayako decided to stop reminiscing there as the thoughts of her ex-boyfriend were beginning to infuriate her, as were the thoughts of her old rival. This feeling was only worsened by the fact that she had just seen Reichi moments ago, and though she had not seen Kai herself recently, he was still a part of her life long after she had tried to get rid of him forever. He had even attempted to kill her husband just twenty-four hours earlier. Whether by seduction or murder, Ayako feared every day that one of them would take away the most important person in her life.

After a long walk, the family finally reached their house. Of the three, Hina was in the best mood as she ran to her room with the egg and set it in a nest she had made of straw between a pair of electric heaters. Ayako walked outside to where she saw Lee lying on the ground, worn out from his training. Venusaur was also worn out, razor-sharp leaves strewn across the yard.

"That's probably enough for today," Ayako advised as she sat a basket of berries on the picnic table in her backyard. "We bought some more Cheri Berries. You should probably replenish your strength." Ayako fed a few blue-colored berries to Venusaur, who happily and hastily accepted them.

"What are those?" Lee asked before grabbing a handful of Cheri Berries.

"They're Rawst Berries," Ayako explained. "Venusaur has a gentle nature, so he likes bitter foods."

Lee noticed the lack of enthusiasm in Ayako's voice. "Is something the matter, sensei?"

"Everything is fine," she replied, her voice almost cracking.

Isamu walked into the backyard and put an arm around Ayako, kissing her on the head. "I'll always love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she whispered back, a single tear slipping down her cheek. "I need to go check on Cubone one last time tonight. You can stay the night here if you'd like, Lee. Our couch is probably more comfortable than your cage."

"Do you mean it, sensei?" Lee was overjoyed. For the first time ever, he was being treated respectfully by a human. However, he could tell that now was not the time for cheering. He, Isamu, and Venusaur watched quietly as Ayako walked out of the backyard, her head facing the ground the entire time. "Did something happen while you were out?" Lee asked Isamu.

Isamu sighed. "We ran into a former… acquaintance of ours."

"Oh?" Lee was interested, though Isamu did not feeling like explaining. "I am sorry. I suppose it is none of my business."

"It's all right," replied Isamu as he walked inside.

Elsewhere, at the Safari Zone Zoo, Ayako walked into the cage of a crying Cubone with a bottle of warm milk.

"It's about time you showed up!" the Warden shouted with his ears covered. "This thing has been driving us all crazy!"

"I'm sorry," replied Ayako. She did not feel like explaining or defending herself this time, as if it ever did her any good. She simply proceeded to Cubone's nest, picked him up, and attempted to place the bottle in his mouth. "Everything's going to be all right now," she said motherly.

The Warden, feeling things were under control now, walked away. However, things were not quite under control as Cubone smacked the bottle out of Ayako's hand with his bone, shattering it on the cage floor. Ayako gasped at Cubone's sudden outlash. He had never behaved so brashly towards her before.

"What's the matter, Cubone?" Ayako grew worried. She locked eyes with the Ground Pokémon. His were angry, yet also hurting. That is when it hit her. "Are you jealous that I've been spending so much time with that new Hitmonlee?" she asked.

"Cubone," the Pokémon nodded, his eyes switching to a melancholy expression.

Ayako was ashamed. "I'm so sorry," she said as she hugged him. Cubone hugged back. "I of all people should know how it feels to be treated like you're second rate. It'll never happen again. I promise."

"Cubone bone," Cubone's tears dampened Ayako's shirt.

"You and I are the same, Cubone," Ayako continued. "You lost your mother and I never had anyone to begin with. We're all alone in the world. Perhaps that's why we get along so well."

As Isamu lay alone in his and Ayako's bed, he looked out the window into the starry sky, anticipating Ayako's eventual return home. He longed to hold her and reassure her that she was not alone. No matter what he said, however, words alone could not express his love for her, and so he wished for an opportunity to prove to her that she was the only one for him.

_I've heard of wishing upon a star,_ he thought to himself, _but does it really work?_

Little did he know that he would soon find out.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Hina lay on her bed gazing at her Pokémon egg as it lay in a nest of straw that Hina had made for it in her bedroom. All the while, she continuously enacted the future in her head: the moment her baby Squirtle would hatch, the day she could set out on her Pokémon journey, all the battles that awaited her, all the Pokémon she would catch, and all the gym badges she would obtain.

She thought, then, of Konan, her best friend, who had grown a little more arrogant and competitive over the last few years. She, too, was incubating a Pokémon egg at this moment and would therefore also be setting out on a Pokémon journey soon. Naturally, she expected a rivalry to arise from this. Hina wondered if she was ready for this and if Squirtle would be ready as well. After all, its opponent would be a Pichu, an Electric type, which would give Squirtle, a Water type, a major disadvantage. Furthermore, Konan was the daughter of Reichi, Hina's mother's own rival, or so Ayako believed.

Hina sensed great pressure from her mother to be Konan's rival. Hina would carry the pride of her mother into battle anytime she would face Konan. Of course, she also carried the pride of her father, just as Squirtle would carry the pride of its father. The pressure was intense, but Hina's excitement was far greater. She would finally live her dream of caring for and training her very own Pokémon, just as soon as that egg would hatch.

Elsewhere, in the family's backyard, Isamu was again training his Pokémon. As they all panted heavily, Isamu smiled to them and said, "Let's take a break. How about some food?" The Pokémon all nodded in exhaustion. With that, Isamu headed into the house and toward the kitchen.

_Another day off,_ he thought to himself. _It's too quiet. Why hasn't Team Rocket made a move lately? What is Kai up to? I'm sure he's planning something._

Isamu's anxieties were interrupted upon opening the pantry in which the bag of generic Pokémon feed was normally contained. However, it was missing.

"Hina?" Isamu called out. "Do you know where the Pokémon food is?"

"I haven't seen it," his daughter replied from across the house.

Confused, Isamu turned his head slightly and peered out the front window. He was surprised by what he saw. The green Hitmonlee known as Lee was performing one-handed pushups in the front yard while holding the large bag of Pokémon feed on his back with his free hand. Isamu chuckled. _That Lee… always pushing it._ Isamu stepped out the front door to get a closer look at the training Pokémon and also to retrieve his Pokémon's lunch.

"One hundred and ninety-seven! One hundred and ninety-eight!" Lee grunted as he performed his over-the-top exercises.

"Careful there, Lee," Isamu advised. "That bag is heavy. You don't want to push yourself in your training."

"I cannot go easy on myself if I want to get stronger!" Lee protested. "That is why if I cannot perform two hundred pushups while holding this bag of Pokémon food, then it is one thousand sit ups while wearing arm weights! One hundred and ninety-nine!"

"Well, if you don't mind, my Pokémon are hungry."

Lee struggled vainly in his effort to perform the two hundredth and final pushup. Grunting in pain, he finally collapsed from exhaustion, screaming in pain as the bag of Pokémon food crushed his back. Isamu quickly pushed the bag off of his back and kneeled down beside Lee.

"Are you all right, Lee?!" he asked worriedly.

"Do not worry. It is painful, but I will be fine."

Isamu sighed. "I know you want to get stronger, Lee, but listen. If you push yourself and try to exercise in ways that your body can't handle, then you're not going to get stronger. Just the opposite, in fact: you could badly injure yourself until you're unable to move at all. That bag could have easily crushed your spine and left you paralyzed, or worse, dead."

"I…"

"Just take it easy for right now. You've done enough training. Why don't you take a break with my Pokémon? We've got Cheri Berries, your favorite!"

Lee's eyes widened at the mention of his favorite food. Lee then jumped to his feet. "I would be delighted to join you and your Pokémon for lunch so long as you provide me with Cheri Berries!"

Isamu laughed, bewildered. "I thought you were hurt. You sure do recover your stamina quickly. You know what? Forget what Kai said. That energy of yours is a real gift that few Pokémon have. You're not a failure at all."

Lee was taken aback by what Isamu had said. "Do you… really mean it?"

"Of course," said Isamu with a smile. Lee smiled back.

"Thank you, Isamu-sensei," Lee replied with complete sincerity.

Isamu laughed again. "Sensei? I thought Ayako was your sensei. Well, let's get some lunch." With that, Isamu grabbed the large bag of Pokémon food and headed inside, Lee following close behind. Isamu stepped into the backyard and poured some food into each of his Pokémon's dishes. His Pokémon scrambled to their dishes and began eating frantically. As Isamu headed back inside, he saw that he did not need to treat Lee to lunch as he was already devouring Cheri Berries rapidly. "Independent, aren't you?" Isamu joked.

Lee's eyes welled up with tears as he continued to stuff the spicy berries into his mouth. "They are so spicy, but so good!" he exclaimed.

"You're making me sick just watching you," Isamu commented. Just then, he heard the front door open, filling his heart with delight. Lee was also excited by the arrival of his sensei. "Welcome home, Ayako!" said Isamu as he walked to the door to greet his wife. It was then that he noticed Cubone riding in Ayako's jacket. "Hello there, little one." Cubone stared at Isamu but did not greet him back. Looking back up to Ayako, Isamu attempted to embrace his wife when Cubone grew vicious.

"Cubone!" the small Pokémon shouted as it held up its bone.

"Cubone, no!" Ayako scolded. Cubone lowered the bone, but continued to glare menacingly at Isamu. "I'm sorry," she said on Cubone's behalf.

"It's all right," Isamu replied. "He's just being protective of his surrogate mother. It's unusual for you to bring him home though. Was it the Warden's complaining about his crying?"

"Not exactly. I brought him home because he's… jealous."

"Jealous?"

Before Ayako could explain, Lee ran into the room toward his trainer.

"Ayako-sensei!" he exclaimed, leaping at her in an attempt to give her a hug. Cubone filled with even more rage for Lee than he had for Isamu.

"Cuuu… BONE!" the Pokémon shouted as it smacked Lee between the eyes with its bone. Lee stopped in his tracks, his arms still outstretched, as one of his fuzzy eyebrows twitched. His eyes began to swirl as he fell backwards, a large lump on his forehead.

"Lee!" Ayako gasped as she knelt down beside her fainted Pokémon.

"That was… uncalled for…" Lee moaned as Ayako pulled out a Super Potion for him.

"Cubone! I brought you home, now behave yourself or you'll have to go back in the cage!" Ayako exclaimed.

"Cubone!" the Pokémon shouted as it jumped out of Ayako's jacket and walked away to pout. Ayako sighed as she applied the ointment to Lee's injury. Lee immediately began to feel better as he sat up.

"Still, I can understand why he would be so bitter," said Lee, to Ayako and Isamu's confusion and curiosity. "You keep him confined in a cage day in and day out. I know what that is like and it is not a happy way for a Pokémon to have to live. I know he is difficult to control, but I insist that you continue to let him stay loose. Eventually, he will adjust and learn how to adapt to his newer and much larger environment. He will also be better able to coexist with his fellow Pokémon and with humans."

"I guess you're right," said Ayako, feeling guilty.

"And another thing. I am sure your Pokémon do not appreciate being confined within Poké Balls all day. You should allow them to wander freely when their services are not needed, as is usually the case when you are at work."

"I don't know if our yard is big enough to contain all twelve of our Pokémon," said Isamu. "One of these days, though, I'd like to use the money I collect from the Pokémon Rescue Force to buy a bigger home, with hundreds of acres of open field for our Pokémon to graze in."

"Oh! I just remembered!" said Ayako as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. Unfolding the paper, Ayako revealed a flyer depicting a Machamp and a Primeape in a wrestling ring.

Lee read aloud the text on the flyer. "Fighting Pokémon Tournament? Saffron City Dojo?"

"These flyers were posted all over the Safari Zone Zoo," said Ayako. "It's a tournament that's held once a year at the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City. Only Fighting Pokémon are allowed to compete though. The winner is entitled to a cash prize and a solid gold trophy. It's being held two weeks from now and I've already requested the day off from work. Would you like to compete, Lee?"

Lee's eyes glimmered. "I would be honored!"

"Hold on a second!" Isamu protested. "Isn't it a little soon for Lee to be competing in a tournament like this? I mean, these Pokémon have been training for years! Do you really think Lee will be ready for this in just two more weeks of training?"

"With how he trains, I'd say so," Ayako joked.

"If I must up my training regimen, I will!" Lee declared. "I now have two weeks to perform several years' worth of training! I had best get started… right after I finish the last few Cheri Berries!"

Isamu groaned. "Those were supposed to last you the week! Now we have to go shopping again!"

"It's all right," said Ayako. "We have to get some dinner anyway. While we're out, we'll stop by the Poké Mart again and get some more Cheri Berries. We also have to register Lee for the Fighting Pokémon Tournament." Ayako turned in the direction of Hina's room and called out to her. "Would you like to come with us, Hina?"

"Okay," Hina replied, taking one last look at her unhatched Pokémon egg before finally slipping on her shoes and heading into the living room with her family.

Isamu opened the back door and withdrew his six Pokémon, who had finished eating. Ayako then picked up Cubone, who was still somewhat bitter, and placed him in her jacket, his head poking out. Realizing that it would not be a good idea to take Lee with her if Cubone was coming, Ayako thought up an excuse to leave Lee behind.

"Lee, would you like to train with Venusaur again?"

"Yes, please," replied Lee with a martial arts bow.

"Venusaur, go!" shouted Ayako as she tossed a Poké Ball. Venusaur emerged from the ball in a flash of light white, shouting its name upon release. "Same deal as yesterday, Venusaur. I'd like you and Lee to train together. It's more important now than ever before because Lee now has a tournament to prepare for!"

"Venusaur!" the Pokémon replied affirmatively. The two Pokémon headed into the backyard as Lee began dodging and countering Venusaur's Razor Leaves.

Ayako turned back to her husband and daughter. "Let's go."

As the family walked out, Hina became lost in thought regarding her mother's comment that Lee was preparing for a tournament. Finally, she spoke. "So, what is this tournament that Lee is preparing for? Is it the annual Fighting Pokémon Tournament in Saffron City?"

"That's the one," Ayako replied.

"Lee and I… we both have something to work for," Hina continued. "He's getting ready to compete in a tournament and I'm getting ready to become a Pokémon trainer. I… I would like to compete in the Kanto Pokémon League!"

Isamu and Ayako gasped. "The Pokémon League?" her father inquired. "Are you sure? The trainers you'd be facing aren't pushovers. Your mother and I both competed in the Pokémon League, and we did manage to get eight badges a piece, but neither of us stood a chance against the Elite Four."

"It's like mom always tells Lee though," said Hina. "With enough hard work, I can become strong. You both have very strong Pokémon. I bet if you fought against the Elite Four now, you could win."

"You may be right," replied Isamu. "My Pokémon are a lot stronger now than they were when I competed in the Pokémon League all those years ago. However, the battles they've been fighting lately haven't been for sport. These are real life-or-death battles against truly dangerous enemies. Anyway, I just don't have the time to face the Elite Four again. I have to constantly be on standby in case I'm called for a mission."

"I believe in you, Hina," said Ayako. Hina was surprised and delighted by her mother's comment. "I believe you can become the Pokémon League champion if you try. Don't let Konan beat you to it!"

Hina nodded. Although she pretended to be confident in front of her mother, she was once again feeling the pressure. Nevertheless, she felt that it was something she had to do. No sooner than Ayako mentioned Konan did her voice pierce Hina's ears.

"Hey, Hina! I've been looking all over for you!" Konan shouted as she ran up to the family, stopping them in their tracks. They immediately noticed the small yellow Pokémon in her arms. "Look! My Pichu hatched!"

Hina was disappointed. "Already? My Squirtle hasn't hatched yet."

"That's too bad," Konan said almost tauntingly. "Looks like I'll be collecting gym badges while you're still waiting for that egg to hatch! If you somehow manage to catch up to me, then you owe me a match, got it?"

"G-got it," Hina replied nervously.

"Well, Pichu and I have to go train. I'll see you at Indigo Plateau… if you're good enough! Either way, get ready to eat my dust!"

"Pichu!" the young Pokémon squealed, sparks sizzling from its pink cheeks. With that, Konan ran back to her house. Hina looked to the ground in despair as Ayako clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.

"She's the one who's going to be eating your dust, Hina," Ayako growled between her teeth. "Don't let her talk to you like that. Show her what you're capable of!"

"I'll… try," Hina sighed.

"No use getting worked up over her taunting," said Isamu. "That's just what she wants out of us. Let's just finish our errands and get back home."

"Okay," said Hina softly.

The family continued on their way to the Poké Mart, Hina feeling anxious and pressured, Ayako feeling angry and competitive, and Isamu feeling uneasy about many things: his daughter's upcoming journey, his wife's jealousy of Reichi, Lee's participation in the Fighting Pokémon Tournament, Cubone's violent temper, and most of all, Team Rocket's inactivity over the past few days.

Back home, Venusaur continued to hurl spinning Razor Leaves at Lee. While Lee dodged most of them, he sliced others with the claws on his feet, performing several swift kicks and taking full advantage of his ability to stretch his legs over long distances. Feeling it was time to kick things up a notch, Venusaur extended its vines and proceeded to use Vine Whip on Lee. Lee fought his best to fend off the vines, standing up to the pain of some blows while kicking off others. Lee then flipped onto his hands and leapt towards Venusaur with his right leg outstretched.

"Hi Jump Kick!" he shouted, declaring his attack. Venusaur grinned as it pushed its vines to the ground in order to propel itself upward, avoiding Lee's attack, causing Lee to crash into the fence. Lee fell onto his back, his pupils spinning through his head once again. "You are… quite good. I have got a long way to go."

Lee quickly jumped back onto his feet and again ran at Venusaur, hoping it would have its guard down. "Mega Kick!" he shouted, attempting a less powerful, but less risky, kick with his other foot still on the ground. Before the kick could connect, Venusaur used its vine to tie Lee up and hold him back. Venusaur then lifted Lee into the air and held him there.

"You are obviously holding back, Venusaur," said Lee, "and yet, you have completely immobilized me. I am clearly not yet ready for the Fighting Pokémon Tournament."

"Venusaur," the Grass and Poison Pokémon replied. "Saur saur. Venus. Venusaur. Saur venusaur."

"You are right," Lee replied, understanding perfectly the language of his fellow Pokémon. "I must keep at it. I will make Ayako-sensei proud!"

With that, Lee gripped Venusaur's vine and tugged at it, reeling himself closer to Venusaur, at which time he stretched his leg and swung his foot into Venusaur's face, causing the Pokémon's grip to loosen, thus freeing Lee, who landed smoothly on his feet. Lee then flipped into the air, repeatedly spinning until he landed another aerial kick on Venusaur's head.

"I can feel a hidden power awakening within me." Again, Lee leapt at Venusaur, performing yet another kick. However, something strange happened this time; with Lee's kick came a gust of wind carrying several small leaves. These leaves were not the same as the ones Venusaur had been shooting earlier. The attack seemed to not do as much damage to Venusaur as Lee's previous attacks, and yet Lee and Venusaur both stood confused at what Lee had just done. "How did I… do that? What move was that?"

"Venusaur," Lee's opponent replied unknowingly, using its vines to shrug.

"Perhaps I should look it up in Hina's Pokémon manual. I will be right back. You can rest for now, Venusaur."

"Saur," the Pokémon said with a nod.

With that, Lee headed inside and into Hina's bedroom. Shuffling through her Pokémon gear and other belongings, Lee searched for a manual on Pokémon attacks. He eventually found a stack of Pokémon books, but as he looked through them, he heard a crack. Looking around, he could not determine where the crack had come from or what it was. Turning his attention back to the books, Lee heard another cracking noise. He then looked in the direction of Hina's Pokémon egg, snug in its nest, with two small cracks at the top. Lee's eyes lit up with delight.

"Hina will be so happy!" he said to himself.

Several minutes passed before Isamu, Ayako, Hina, and Cubone arrived home, each of the three humans carrying a bag of groceries. Hina was still depressed over her encounter with Konan earlier in the day, but her mood quickly changed shortly after her father opened the door. There to greet her stood Lee, holding a sleeping baby Squirtle in his arms.

"Congratulations, Hina," he said, "it's a boy!"

Hina's jaw dropped and her eyes widened as her heart filled with delight. "My very own Pokémon…" she said softly and with a smile.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It had been one week since the birth of Hina's very first Pokémon, Squirtle. The Pokémon was growing quickly, having already learned to walk as well as perform basic attacks such as Tackle and Tail Whip. Isamu had taken Hina and her new Pokémon to the beach south of Fuchsia City, along Route 19, to train her newborn Squirtle, with guidance from its own father, Isamu's Blastoise. Also present were Ayako, Lee, and Cubone. Under Ayako's guidance, Lee continued to train for the Fighting Pokémon Tournament in Saffron City, which was now only a week away, while Cubone simply observed, wanting only to be with Ayako at all times.

Ayako was happy to finally have a day off work so that she could spend it with those she cared about. Isamu, however, had not worked in over a week, his last mission having been the infiltration of Team Rocket's hideout at the Celadon City Game Corner. As such, he grew worried. Kai was being suspiciously quiet and was therefore probably planning something. All the while, Isamu waited for his boss Yuki to contact him for a new mission or any new information or at least suspicions regarding Team Rocket's activities or key members' whereabouts. Isamu tried not to worry about it for the time being and focus on helping his daughter train.

"All right, it's time I taught you about STAB," said Isamu.

"Stab?" Hina inquired.

"It's an acronym for Same Type Attack Bonus. Squirtle is a Water type, so if it were to use a Water-based attack, it would do more damage than if a non-Water type were to use it. So far, Squirtle does not know any Water attacks, so we'll start with the most basic one: Bubble."

Isamu nodded at Blastoise, who then shot a string of bubbles out of his mouth. The bubbles floated above the ocean, popping one at a time. Squirtle observed its widened reflection in one of the bubbles as it popped in its eyes, blinding it momentarily. Squirtle shook the water out of its eyes and began to focus on attempting the attack.

"Is that really an effective attack?" asked Hina.

"It's not one of the strongest attacks around," replied Isamu. "In fact, it's the weakest Water attack. However, those aren't ordinary bubbles. They possess some of the power that lies dormant within every Pokémon. There is an even stronger version of this attack called Bubblebeam. For now, however, we should stick to the basics. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves like _some_ Pokémon around here." Isamu eyed Lee.

"Do not mock me!" Lee yelled as he kicked the air in front of him.

"Well, Squirtle, give it a try," said Hina. "Bubble, now!"

"Squirtle!" the Pokémon cried out as it attempted to shoot bubbles from its mouth just as its father had. However, no bubbles emerged. Instead, all that fell from Squirtle's mouth was a single drop of saliva. "Squirt…" Sweat rolled down each of the spectators' heads at the sight of Squirtle's failure of an attack.

"That was a good try, Squirtle," said Hina in an attempt to keep her Pokémon's confidence up. "You just need to draw out more energy and focus it into your attack."

"Squirtle squirt," the Pokémon said with a nod, attempting once again to perform the attack. This time, all the Pokémon did was spit, but none of its saliva took the form of a bubble.

An annoyingly familiar voice pierced the air with laughter. All heads turned to observe the approach of Konan, with Pichu riding on her head. Behind her was her mother Reichi wearing a teal bikini and carring a towel and an umbrella, with Pikachu riding on her right shoulder.

Konan placed her face up close to Hina's and began taunting her. "So, training your Squirtle, are you? Doesn't look like you're making a lot of progress!"

"Can we help you with something?" Ayako asked in annoyance.

"It's a public beach, isn't it?" replied Reichi as she laid down her beach towel and set up her umbrella. "We were just planning to spend a nice, relaxing day here, basking in the sun, perhaps go swimming."

"Not me!" said Konan. "I'm here to train and maybe find some other trainers to battle! And I think I've found just the opponent!" Konan pointed at Hina. "Hina Koizumi! I challenge you to a Pokémon battle!"

Hina's pupils receded as she began to tremble. "P-Pokémon… battle?"

"You're not scared, are you?"

"Pichu!" Konan's Pokémon taunted alongside its trainer as it leapt to the sandy ground in front of Konan, electricity sizzling from its cheeks.

"I just don't think Squirtle is ready yet—" Hina began.

"Squirtle!" her Pokémon interrupted as it stepped forward, a determined look in its eyes. Hina, Isamu, Ayako, Lee, and Blastoise all looked at the young Pokémon in astonishment.

"Blastoise," its father said in protest, trying to dissuade its week-old son from fighting.

Squirtle shook its head, determined to take on this challenge. "Squirtle squirtle, squirt squirt squirtle."

"It is saying that it wishes to defend its trainer's honor," Lee translated. "That is a very dedicated Pokémon! You have got to admire its spirit!"

"I guess… if you want to fight… you may," said Hina nervously. "But… you should fight to defend your own honor, not mine."

"It's settled then!" said Konan. "Let the match begin!"

Squirtle and Pichu stared each other down. In her anxiety, Hina was quick to make a move.

"Squirtle, use a Tackle attack!"

"Squirtle squirt!" the Pokémon cried out as it ran at Pichu.

"How foolish," Konan laughed. "Pichu, Thundershock now!"

The baby Pokémon squealed its name as it shot a surge of electricity at the oncoming blue turtle. Some of the shock weakened Pichu, but Squirtle was badly electrocuted, halting its Tackle attack.

"Squirtle, that's enough!" Hina shouted worriedly. "Return now!"

Squirtle breathed heavily, but shook its head. As Pichu let its guard down, thinking Squirtle was finished, Squirtle completed its previous attack and tackled Pichu to the ground. Knowing Pichu would likely follow up with another Thundershock attack, Squirtle was quick to jump back and prepare for a retaliation. Indeed, Pichu shot out another Thundershock, at which time Squirtle dove into the sand. As the lightning struck the sand, Squirtle suffered little damage from the attack.

"How clever of Squirtle," Isamu commented. "It knows that Ground nullifies Electric attacks, so it used the sand as a shield. I wonder…"

"Blastoise…" Blastoise thought the same thing as its trainer.

"You wonder what?" asked Lee.

"Blastoise is not only Isamu's very first Pokémon," Ayako explained, "but it's also his strongest. Isamu has trained Blastoise so that it can overcome its two elemental weaknesses: it has Ice attacks to help combat Grass-type Pokémon. And also…"

"What does this have to do with the battle we are watching?"

"Newborn Pokémon often inherit their parents' moves," Isamu continued the explanation. "There's a chance that Squirtle may have inherited one of its father's Ground moves, which Blastoise uses to fend off Electric Pokémon."

"Squirtle!" the young Water Pokémon shouted as it emerged from the sand, inhaling for an attack.

"It's going to try again," said Ayako.

"I just hope this works," Hina said as she clenched her fists anxiously. "Squirtle, use Bubble now!"

Squirtle cried its name yet again as it successfully shot a stream of bubbles at its opponent. Pichu was temporarily blinded, though little damage was suffered.

"That slowed it down, at least!" remarked Isamu.

"It's a long shot," said Hina, "but let's give it a try! Squirtle, use Dig!"

"Dig?" Reichi looked up from her tanning and observed the Pokémon battle for the first time. "Do you really think that Squirtle knows Dig after only a week of being alive?"

"There's only one way to know!" Hina's expression and voice grew more determined as she gained more confidence in her Pokémon.

"Squirtle squirt!" the small, blue Pokémon, feeling the same determination as its trainer, began digging rapidly. Sure enough, it was able to burrow its way underground and out of Pichu's sight.

_Crap, this is bad!_ Konan thought as she began to fret. _I never imagined it'd know a Ground attack! _"Pichu, run! You have to dodge that attack!"

"Pichu!" the young Pokémon panicked as it ran frantically in an attempt to find a safe spot. Suddenly, it felt a rumbling beneath its feet.

"Squirtle!" From underneath Pichu emerged Squirtle, who uppercut its opponent in the jaw, sending it flying upward.

"Pichu!" shouted Konan. Her panicked expression quickly changed to a grin. "Thundershock now!"

Pichu also began to grin villainously as it grabbed hold of its assailant, electricity surging from its cheeks again. The Electric Pokémon called its name out as it zapped Squirtle and the two Pokémon went soaring to the ground. Pichu, though panting heavily, managed to stand back up. Squirtle, lying on its stomach, attempted to do the same, but its muscles gave way and it slipped back onto the ground.

Reichi chuckled. "I think we have a clear winner here, folks. Try as you like, but Pichu still has the elemental advantage here." With that, Reichi turned her attention away from the battle, closed her eyes, and became lost in the cool ocean breeze.

"Squirtle!" Hina ran to her Pokémon's side and held it in her arms. Squirtle attempted to speak to her, but was too weak to fully utter its own name. "You fought well, Squirtle, and you almost won. I'm proud of you."

Hina's moment was disrupted by Konan's showboating. "All right! We won, Pichu! Not that it surprises me! Hina and her Squirtle didn't stand a chance against us!" Konan picked up her injured Pokémon and began spinning it around in the air, much to its dismay. Hina tried to ignore Konan, but Ayako began to growl softly, her fisted hands trembling.

"So we lost our first Pokémon match," said Hina. "That's all right. We just have to work even harder next time. Konan, we will face off again someday, but next time, it won't be so easy. Squirtle and I will both be a lot stronger than we are now."

"That goes doubly for Pichu and me! The next time you see us, Pichu will have evolved at least into Pikachu!"

Ayako was gritting her teeth at this point, hardly able to contain her anger. Not since the days of her rivalry with Reichi had she felt this angry over an ordinary Pokémon battle. Isamu, sensing his wife's anger, invented an excuse to leave.

"It's about lunch time," he said as he put a comforting arm on his wife's shoulder. "We should get going."

Ayako calmed down at the feel of her husband's hand. "Okay," she said, picking Cubone up. "Let's go, Lee."

"Yes, sensei," Lee replied with a bow.

"Though its injuries aren't serious, we should probably take Hina's Squirtle to a Pokémon Center as well, just to be on the safe side," Isamu proposed. "We can get something to eat afterwards."

"Cheri Berries please!" Lee exclaimed.

With that, Isamu withdrew Blastoise into its Poké Ball and the Koizumi family headed for the Pokémon Center, leaving behind Reichi, Konan, and their Pokémon. Along the way, Hina looked at her fainted Pokémon and sighed.

"Do not feel discouraged, Hina," said Lee. "You and I are a lot alike. We both have to work hard to face the challenges ahead. With enough determination, we will overcome adversity!"

Hina smiled. "Thank you, Lee."

As the family walked into the Pokémon Center, Isamu's cellular phone began to vibrate. Isamu looked at the name on the phone: Yuki.

"It's about time," he said, looking at his wife. Ayako nodded as Isamu stepped away. Ayako continued to guide Hina to the counter to check Squirtle in.

Answering his cell phone, Isamu remarked, "I thought you'd never call."

"Can you get on a more secure line?" Yuki replied from the other end.

"Will do. I'll call you back from home." Hanging up and putting away his cell phone, Isamu then pulled out and tossed a Poké Ball. "Rapidash, go!" From out of the ball emerged a white horse with a fiery mane. Isamu boarded the horse and gave it a pat to send it galloping back home, leaping over fences and other obstacles along the way. Within minutes, the pair arrived home, at which time Isamu leapt off his horse, withdrew her into her Poké Ball, and headed inside and into a secluded room in the basement of the house with no vents or windows. There, he picked up a black telephone and dialed a ten-digit phone number.

"I take it you're on the private line now?" Yuki answered.

"I am."

"I have a mission for you, but you won't be able to carry it out for another week."

_A week? Lee's match is in a week! I'd hate to miss it._ "So, what's the mission?"

"Are you familiar with the Saffron City Fighting Pokémon Tournament?"

Isamu gasped. "I am. Is Team Rocket somehow connected with it?"

"This year, that would seem to be the case. We've received word that one of the entrants is named Anoki Ishizuka."

"Could it be… the very same…?"

"For now, we must assume that is the case. We already know for a fact that the Anoki you and I are familiar with is in league with Kai and is a key member of Team Rocket. One might even call him Kai's right hand man."

"Any idea what Anoki could be after?"

"His motives are unclear, but there are a number of possibilities. He could be planning to abduct other trainers' Pokémon for Team Rocket to use in further experimentation. He could also be planning to use a powerful Pokémon to win the tournament and obtain the prize money, which Team Rocket could use to fund future projects. One of your objectives will be to determine his purpose, assuming this is the same Anoki. I doubt he'd be there for sport."

"How shall I go about learning these things? It would be best if I didn't stand out."

"On the contrary, your presence there will likely draw him out. He is probably not expecting you. For this mission, you must enter the contest. Determine your best Fighting Pokémon and register it for the competition immediately. By participating in the tournament, you will likely face Anoki at some point as it is likely that he will be using an experimentally enhanced Fighting Pokémon. It would be best if you won the tournament and the prize money to keep it away from Team Rocket's clutches. However, it is understandable if you lose to Anoki. At least then, you will observe firsthand the power of whatever Pokémon he enters into the contest. If its powers seem unnatural, you'll know it's him. That's your cue to arrest him, using whatever Pokémon you would like. Winning the tournament will no longer be a concern, so do not hesitate to defy the rules."

"Of course. Duty comes before sport, always."

"I have never known you to use Fighting Pokémon. Do you have any Pokémon in mind whom you would like to enter in the contest? If not, I can provide you with a Fighting Pokémon for use in the tournament."

Isamu thought for a moment. "That won't be necessary. I have just the Pokémon."

Back at the Pokémon Center, Lee sneezed while sitting in the waiting room with Hina and Ayako, who was holding Cubone. "Excuse me, please."

"They say that when someone sneezes, they're being talked about somewhere," Ayako joked. "Maybe some female Pokémon somewhere is talking about you, Lee."

Lee blushed. "I do not think so, Ayako-sensei! I doubt any Pokémon could fall for someone as strange as myself."

"You never know. Love happens to the people who least expect it at the times when they least expect it. At least, that's the story of my life."

"I suppose it could happen. For now, however, I cannot focus on such trivial matters as love. I must work hard to win the Fighting Pokémon Tournament and make you proud, sensei!"

"Hina Koizumi?" the nurse at the counter called out. "Your Squirtle is fully healed. Its injuries were minor and it should be just fine after it gets a good meal and a nice, long rest."

"Thank you, ma'am," said Hina as she picked up Squirtle at the counter and gave it a hug. "We have to work hard too, Squirtle. Tomorrow, I'd like to set out for Route 15 and capture some more Pokémon. Afterwards, we will head to the Fuchsia City Pokémon Gym to face Janine for our first Kanto League badge!"

"Squirtle!" her Pokémon responded affirmatively.

_Hina_, thought Ayako, _you've grown so much just over the course of the day. You've become a lot more confident in your own abilities. I used to think you took after me, but… you obviously take after your father. Perhaps it's better that way. Perhaps… I should stop trying to push my rivalry off on you. I need to let you forge your own path. Hina… I hope you'll be the trainer I never could be._ Ayako looked down at Cubone, then over at Lee. _However, as long as there are some who depend on me, perhaps I still have a chance to be a great trainer as well, in my own way. For now, I just have to focus on helping Lee be the best Pokémon he can be. Cubone too._

As Ayako, Hina, and their Pokémon walked out of the Pokémon Center, Ayako spoke: "We all have to work hard. We all have goals we'd like to achieve. This next week is going to be interesting."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

_Six more days until the tournament_, thought Isamu as he supervised Lee's training in Ayako's absence. _Lee's training harder than ever before now that I've volunteered him for a Pokémon Rescue Force mission._

_I must get as strong as I can in less than one week,_ Lee thought as he once again performed pushups with one hand while holding a back of Pokémon food on his back with the other. _This is now more than just a way to prove to myself how strong I can be. I was rescued from Team Rocket by the Pokémon Rescue Force. I owe it to my fellow Pokémon to lend the Rescue Force a hand in saving those who are still captive! Therefore, Isamu's mission is my mission as well!_

"One hundred and ninety-five! One hundred and ninety-six! One hundred and ninety-seven!" Lee counted as he performed each pushup.

"You're getting better at this all the time, Lee," Isamu pointed out. "You used to do your pushups so slowly. This time, however, you're going quite a bit faster!"

Just then, Hina stepped out of the house and into the backyard where her father and Lee prepared for the upcoming assignment. Riding on her backpack was her Squirtle.

"I-I'm heading out now," said Hina.

"Before you go," said Isamu as he reached into his pocket, "take these." Isamu pulled out six Poké Balls and three Potions and handed them to his daughter.

"Thank you," she said. "I was going to go to the Poké Mart to buy some, but you saved me the trouble."

"Your mother and I bought some this morning while we were out shopping for more Cheri Berries for you-know-who!"

Hina pressed one of her six Poké Balls against Squirtle, causing it to be sucked inside in a flash of red light. Lee's expression grew bitter at the sight of Squirtle's containment, but did not speak and instead continued his exercises. Hina placed the ball containing Squirtle along with two empty balls on the left side of her belt while placing the other three empty balls on the right side of her belt. Before she could walk away, her dad reached out and hugged her.

"Be safe," he said sorrowfully but proudly.

"I will," Hina replied as she hugged back.

The two released the hug as Hina headed out the gate and toward Route 15 to the east. Isamu sighed as he watched his daughter go off on her own. Fortunately, she would not be gone for long this particular time since she planned to face off against the local gym leader, Janine, after she obtained a few new Pokémon. Afterwards, however, Isamu and Ayako would have to say goodbye to their daughter for a good, long while as she journeyed out into the far reaches of Kanto. Sighing, Isamu returned his focus to Lee's training, and by extension, the mission that awaited him.

Hina, too, looked forward to the road ahead, trying not to think too much about the fact that she would soon be leaving the comfort of her home to become a nomad. However, these thoughts plagued her mind anyhow and filled her with fear and anxiety. Her first task was to obtain some new Pokémon to use against Janine in her upcoming gym battle. As such, she would get only a taste of what was to come, because after this small adventure, she would return home for a little while. After she obtained her first badge, however, she would leave home for heaven knows how long. The familiarity of the town she grew up in would be replaced by new and constantly changing scenery. The friendly faces of her parents would soon be replaced by the faces of complete strangers, some friend and others foe.

A lot of challenges awaited Hina, but she never looked back. She continued forward until she saw a sign that read "Now Leaving Fuchsia City; Route 15 to Vermilion City and Lavender Town." Here, she hoped to find some good Pokémon to use against Janine.

_I've studied up on Janine's battle tactics,_ Hina recalled as she took her first steps out of Fuchsia City. _She apparently specializes in Poison Pokémon. Poison Pokémon can be quite dangerous as they can slowly drain away a Pokémon's energy. However, there is a way around it. First of all, a Poison Pokémon can't be poisoned, so I'll just fight poison with poison. Second, Poison Pokémon have two weaknesses: Ground Pokémon and Psychic Pokémon. If I can find at least one Pokémon of either of those two types, I should be safe. Now it's just a matter of searching for the Pokémon I need, capturing them, and then training them._

As Hina wandered further down Route 15, she looked through the tall grass for any signs of Pokémon rustling around. The grass began to shake in one spot, so Hina picked up a rock and threw it in the direction of the shaking grass. From out of the grass emerged a wild Oddish. Hina grew excited.

"My first encounter with a wild Pokémon!" she cheerfully exclaimed aloud. "And it's a Poison type, which is just what I was looking for!"

"Oddish?" the small Pokémon muttered in confusion as it stared naïvely at Hina, who withdrew one of her six Poké Balls, expanded it, and tossed it.

"Squirtle, go!" Hina shouted as the ball opened and Squirtle emerged in a flash of white light, shouting his name as he appeared. Squirtle, knowing what he had to do, took on a battle pose as he stared down Oddish. Oddish was frightened, but stood its ground. "Start things off with a Bubble attack!"

"Squirtle squirt!" the Pokémon cried out as it shot a stream of bubbles at the blue weed. Oddish was barely affected by the attack, but it grew angry at Squirtle's assault.

"It's no good," Hina said aloud. "Oddish is a Grass type, so Water attacks won't work. In that case… Squirtle, try a Tackle attack!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle nodded to its trainer and ran at Oddish, head outward, in preparation for the attack.

"Oddish!" Oddish quickly countered by extending two green vines out from the leaves on its head and wrapping them around Squirtle, restraining it and halting its attack. It then began sapping its energy through the vines.

"Squirtle!" Hina shouted in horror. "That must be Oddish's Absorb attack! Oddish is taking Squirtle's energy and using it to heal itself! It's doubly effective against Squirtle because he's a Water type!" Hina held Squirtle's Poké Ball outward and aimed the button at her restrained Pokémon. "Squirtle, return!" At Hina's command, a beam of red light shot out of the button of the Poké Ball and made contact with Squirtle, at which time the Pokémon changed into red light itself and was sucked back into the ball. With no other Pokémon left to call upon, Hina retreated back towards Fuchsia City, leaving the wild Oddish victorious and completely healed.

_I failed, and badly too,_ Hina thought to herself. _This is a lot harder than I thought. For just a little while, I really believed that I could do this. I thought I was prepared to be a Pokémon trainer, but all I did was get Squirtle hurt again. Maybe I'm just not cut out for this._

Tears dropped from Hina's eyes to the dirt below as she ran as quickly as she could to the Pokémon Center to heal her fainted Pokémon. She had not planned to return home so soon, and certainly not without any new Pokémon. Finally, Hina arrived at the Fuchsia City Pokémon Center and stepped up to the counter holding the Poké Ball that contained Squirtle.

"Could you… heal my Pokémon… please?" she asked shyly, feeling disgusted with herself. "He was injured in battle with a wild Oddish."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," the nurse replied as she took the Poké Ball away from Hina, who sat down in the waiting room, where she began sulking.

"Is everything all right?" a female voice asked her. Hina looked at the seat next to her, where a tall, somewhat rotund, girl with brown hair with blue streaks and green eyes sat. The girl wore a sleeveless orange shirt, a long sleeve white undershirt, blue pants, and black shoes. She seemed like a pleasant enough person.

"I just became a Pokémon trainer," Hina explained. "I only have one Pokémon so far, a Squirtle."

"Ah, Squirtle, a very common choice for beginning trainers in the Kanto region."

"I was trying to capture an Oddish with my Squirtle, but… Squirtle was badly hurt. He didn't even stand a chance against that Oddish, and it didn't even look that tough."

"Well of course you lost! Oddish is a Grass type! Squirtle is a Water type!"

"But I don't have any other Pokémon—"

"Then capture another Pokémon! Find a Pokémon that's strong against Grass types, capture it, and then use it to capture the Oddish! There are plenty of Flying types around this area. Try one of those."

"I just don't want to see Squirtle get hurt again. This isn't the first time I've had to bring him here. I brought him here yesterday after he lost a battle with a Pichu."

"Again, bad type matchup. That aside, though, you shouldn't lose confidence just because your Pokémon got hurt. Your Pokémon still believes in you, and so should you. If you don't believe in yourself, then your Pokémon won't be able to win any battles. Pokémon battle all the time, and someone has to lose. Every trainer has to deal with the reality that their Pokémon are going to get hurt, and it's important to be concerned with your Pokémon's health, but you can't give up after you've only just begun. Of course your Squirtle isn't going to be very strong right off the bat. Keep training. With enough hard work, you and your Pokémon will be strong!"

The girl's words reminded Hina of what her mother had told Lee. Hina remembered how inspired she was by Lee's determination and his belief that hard work could turn a failure into a natural born prodigy's equal or even superior. Hina remembered all the insane training that Lee endured and how much stronger he had become as a result of it.

"You're right," said Hina. "Thank you. I feel much better now, um…"

"Just call me Makoto," the girl replied.

"Thank you, Makoto. My name is Hina Koizumi."

"Hina, huh? Maybe I'll see you around sometime. I'm headed to Route 15."

"Really? Th-that's where I'm headed as well. Are you on a Pokémon journey?"

"That's right! This is my first time through Kanto. I come from the Hoenn region. I've also been to the Johto region. I've been a Pokémon trainer for several years now. I just arrived in Fuchsia City from Cycling Road to the west. I'd like to battle Janine, the gym leader here, but first I think I'll train my Pokémon a bit."

"I-I'm also planning to battle Janine before I go too far. I live in Fuchsia City."

"Is that so? Well, best of luck to you! Maybe we'll meet again on the road soon!"

"Good luck to you as well!"

After several minutes, the nurse finally returned to the counter with the Poké Ball containing Hina's Squirtle. "Your Squirtle is fully healed," she said. "Its injuries were minor. All it needed was a Super Potion to rejuvenate itself."

"Thank you," Hina said with a smile as she retrieved her Poké Ball. She then looked at Makoto. "Strange. I arrived her a little later than you, yet you haven't gotten back your Pokémon yet. Are your Pokémon all right?"

"My Pokémon are fine," Makoto replied. "I'm just resting here. Besides being hospitals for Pokémon, Pokémon Centers also function as rest areas for travelling trainers. You'll be making a lot of pit stops at these places on your journey, believe you me!"

"I believe it," Hina joked. "Thank you for your kind words. I hope to see you again!" Without another word, Hina exited the Pokémon Center and headed back for Route 15. _Let's try this one more time,_ she thought, with more confidence than what she had when she first left Fuchsia City.

Hina looked around the tall grass once again for any sign of a wild Pokémon. In the distance, she heard another rustling in the grass, followed by what sounded like the fluttering of feathers. Hina was quick to seize the opportunity.

"Squirtle, go!" she shouted as she tossed her only occupied Poké Ball in the direction of the sounds. Squirtle emerged with a cry of its name, and the hiding Pokémon was scared out of the grass. Out flew a frightened Pidgey, who fluttered above Squirtle, angry and ready to attack. Pidgey, screeching as viciously as the small bird could, flew towards Squirtle in an effort to dive bomb it. "Slow it down with a Bubble attack!" Squirtle did so and Pidgey was halted in its flight. "Now use Tackle!"

"Squirtle!" the Pokémon cried as it pinned the stunned bird to the ground. Pidgey lay defenselessly under the turtle's shell. Hina then pulled out an empty Poké Ball as Squirtle stepped back.

"Poké Ball, go!" Hina tossed the ball at the weakened Pidgey, who was sucked inside in a flash of light. The ball began to wobble, its button red, indicating that containment of the Pokémon was not yet confirmed. Pidgey wore its remaining strength out in its vain effort to break free from the ball and the light finally dimmed as the ball stopped shaking. Hina's eyes lit up and a smile crept across her face. "I-I actually did it! No, you and I did it together, Squirtle! We made our very first Pokémon capture!"

"Squirtle squirt!" Squirtle replied happily as it carried the ball back to its trainer and handed it to her.

"Pidgey," said Hina as she held the ball. "I'm sorry we were so rough on you, but things are going to be different now. You're one of us, and I'm going to raise you to be a strong Pokémon… just like my parents have been doing for their Pokémon."

"That was quite impressive," a voice from behind spoke. Turning around, Hina saw Makoto approaching from the direction of Fuchsia City.

"Makoto! Did you see me capture my first Pokémon?"

"I did. You're turning into quite a formidable trainer already. You will become very strong. If you don't mind, I'd like to test your abilities in a Pokémon match."

"Y-you want to challenge me?" Hina's confidence streak ended abruptly as she again grew nervous and unsure of her abilities.

"Don't worry. I may be an older and more experienced trainer than you, but since I got to Kanto, I've only been using newly caught Pokémon. They're no more experienced than your Pokémon."

"If you say so. Well, since my Pidgey hasn't yet recovered from the last battle and Squirtle didn't use up a lot of energy, I'll use Squirtle in this battle."

"Very well. In that case, I'll use… Sandshrew! Go!" Makoto tossed a Poké Ball and a brown armadillo-like Pokémon emerged in front of Squirtle.

"Sandshrew?!" Hina was confused. "But… aren't Ground Pokémon weak against Water Pokémon? Why would you choose a Pokémon who has a type disadvantage?"

"Try me and see," Makoto replied with a smirk.

Hina, despite appearing to have an advantage at face value, continued to be uncertain about the eventual outcome of this battle, but nevertheless, she made a command. "Squirtle, use Bubble!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle again sprayed bubbles at its opponent. Sandshrew withstood the bubbles, taking very little damage.

"It's no good," Hina muttered. "Bubble isn't a very strong attack. If only Squirtle knew some stronger Water attacks."

"My turn!" Makoto interrupted. "Sandshrew, use Earthquake now!"

"Shrew!" the Pokémon shouted as it stomped its foot, causing the ground beneath itself, Squirtle, and their two trainers to rumble. A crack was created at the point of impact and stretched to where Squirtle stood attempting to keep its balance. The crack soon became a large fissure into which Squirtle fell. Hina looked shockingly into the hole to see Squirtle out cold.

"Squirtle!" she cried. _Injured again already…_ Hina aimed a Poké Ball at Squirtle and shouted, "Squirtle, return!" thus withdrawing it into its ball. She then stared frighteningly at Makoto and Sandshrew, thinking that she should probably surrender. It was then that she remembered having one more Pokémon at her disposal. Putting away Squirtle's Poké Ball, Hina pulled out the only other occupied Poké Ball she had. "I know I just caught you, but I need you now, so I choose you, Pidgey!"

Hina tossed the ball and her newly obtained bird Pokémon appeared, with a few marks still on it from its battle with Squirtle. However, it still managed to fly. Hina then pulled out a Potion as Pidgey flew back to her, at which time Hina applied the Potion to Pidgey like an ointment, instantly healing some of its battle wounds.

"All right, Pidgey, are you ready?"

"Pidgey!" the bird nodded, its opinion about Hina having suddenly changed since its capture. It then flew into the sky, soaring above Sandshrew, who could only watch.

"Damn it!" said Makoto abruptly. "I only taught Sandshrew Ground attacks! They'll do me no good against a Flying type! Sandshrew, return!" Makoto called her Pokémon back into its ball. "That's it. I surrender. You win. Good luck on your journey!"

"You're not going to choose another Pokémon?" asked Hina.

"No time, I have to get to the next gym! See you later, Hina!" Makoto waved goodbye as she ran to the east. Hina, rather than wave back, merely watched in confusion as Pidgey perched in front of her.

"Wasn't she planning to fight Janine though?" Hina asked herself aloud. "Did she really win that quickly or did she just forget? Oh well, it doesn't concern me. Back to what I was doing." Hina looked at Pidgey. "All right, Pidgey, I was trying to capture an Oddish earlier. Squirtle couldn't beat it due to a type mismatch, but you're just the right type to take on Oddish. First, though, we have to find it again. I want you to scout around from above and look out for a small, blue, radish-like Pokémon with three leaves coming out of its head."

"Pidgey!" the bird said with a nod as it took flight and soared above the grass, keeping a sharp eye out for Oddish. It was not long before it saw three leaves poking out of the grass and moving around, at which time Pidgey began cawing and flying in circles overhead.

"She found him!" said Hina. "Okay, Pidgey, blow it out of the grass with a Gust attack!"

The bird, still cawing, began flapping its wings rapidly, created a small tornado, which blew Oddish out of the grass and into the open. Pidgey then attempted to dive bomb Oddish, who quickly reacted by wrapping its vines around its attacker and using another Absorb attack.

"It won't work this time!" said Hina. "Flying types are strong against Grass types! Pidgey, finish it off with a Tackle attack!"

Hina's Pokémon continued its dive bomb attack in spite of Oddish's restraint on it and smashed Oddish into the ground. Oddish's vines released their grip on Pidgey as it flew back upward, allowing Hina a chance to make her capture.

"Poké Ball, go!" Hina tossed another empty Poké Ball at Oddish, trapping it inside. Just as before, the ball wobbled, its button lit red. Just as quickly as before, however, the ball stopped shaking and Oddish was successfully caught.

"It worked!" Hina said joyously. "Makoto's advice worked! I've already caught two brand new Pokémon today!"

_I now have a Poison Pokémon to use against Janine,_ she thought to herself. _That's only half my strategy though. The other half was to capture a Ground-type Pokémon. I don't know of any in the area, so for now, I suppose I'll just head back into town to heal my Pokémon._

Hina withdrew her Pidgey into its Poké Ball and proceeded back west toward Fuchsia City. Before she could get too far, however, a wild Sandshrew emerged from the grass and gazed at her ferociously.

"A Sandshrew?!" Hina gasped. "Out here?! That's highly unusual!" Hina saw a look of malice in Sandshrew's eyes. _Is it angry at me for capturing the Pokémon around here and making them battle for me? Well, whatever the case, it's a Ground type, so it's just what I need to complete my strategy!_ "Pidgey, one more time! Go!" Tossing a Poké Ball, Hina again released Pidgey, who flew above Sandshrew in preparation for battle. "Use a Gust attack!"

"Pidgey!" The bird Pokémon created yet another gust of wind, blowing its earthbound opponent back a few feet. Sandshrew quickly jumped to its feet and began to burrow into the ground.

"A Dig attack?" said Hina. "That's not going to work on Pidgey! Pidgey, go into the air to avoid the attack!"

Pidgey obeyed and flew higher. Sandshrew emerged from the ground and attempted to uppercut Pidgey, but the bird was too high up for it to reach.

_Strange,_ thought Hina. _Sandshrew don't normally learn Dig in the wild. That's a move that has to be taught to them by trainers. Maybe this Sandshrew once belonged to somebody._

"All right, Pidgey, use Tackle now!" Hina commanded. The small bird began yet another dive bomb attack, but Sandshrew was quick to counter by slashing the oncoming bird with its claws, critically injuring it. "Slash! That's a deadly move with a high critical rate! Even worse, it's a Normal attack, so Pidgey's not immune to it!" Sandshrew next began slashing furiously at Pidgey. "Fury Swipes!" Hina gasped. "This Sandshrew must be at a pretty high level to know that!" Pidgey finally collapsed from both fatigue and injury. Hina was quick to call it back into its Poké Ball and prepare another. Sandshrew returned its gaze to Hina, its look of malice remaining unchanged. "Squirtle fainted from the last battle with a Sandshrew, so I choose you, Oddish!" Hina tossed the ball and her newest Pokémon came out. "I know you're low on stamina, Oddish, but you can regain it quickly! Use Absorb now!"

"Oddish!" the weed responded as it wrapped its vines around the wild Sandshrew and began sapping its energy, thus revitalizing its own.

_It's a good thing Grass types are also strong against Ground types,_ thought Hina as she pulled out an empty Poké Ball. "Three Pokémon in one day! Poké Ball, go!" Hina tossed the empty ball at the energy-drained Sandshrew, who was, like Pidgey and Oddish before him, sucked into the ball in a flash of light. Once again, the ball wobbled until the red light dimmed. Hina, her confidence higher than it had ever been before, raised the ball up triumphantly. "I finally have all the Pokémon I need for my battle with Janine!"

"Oddish!" her Pokémon said delightfully.

With that, Hina withdrew Oddish and headed back into town, the sun looming above her at high noon. She eventually arrived at the Fuchsia City Pokémon Center and dropped her Pokémon off at the counter.

"You seem a lot happier than you did earlier today," the nurse commented as she took Hina's Poké Balls. "Is it because the number of Pokémon you now own has quadrupled?"

Hina smiled and nodded. "That's right! After I'm done here, I'm going to show my new Pokémon to my parents, get some lunch for all of us, and then battle Janine!"

"Janine? The Fuchsia City gym leader? You're the second trainer today who said she's battling Janine. She left this morning."

Hina's confidence was suddenly shattered again. "K-Konan?" _She's way ahead of me… I don't know how I'm going to catch up with her now._

"Your Pokémon should be ready in just a few minutes," the nurse said as she walked away with Hina's Poké Balls.

_Still, I guess this isn't a complete loss for me,_ Hina continued to ponder. _I not only captured three Pokémon today. I also won a Pokémon battle for the very first time in my life! Although it wasn't much of a battle. Makoto only used one Pokémon and she surrendered rather quickly. She was acting rather strange, though her advice was very helpful to me. I wonder if I'll ever see her again._

After several minutes, the nurse returned Hina's Pokémon to her. Hina headed home, eager to show her new Pokémon to her parents and Lee. She also knew that this would likely be the last night she would spend at home for a long time, but she tried not to think about that and instead focus on the road ahead and the journeys that awaited her. Most importantly of all, she had to catch up to her rival Konan.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Let's take a break, Lee," said Ayako as she wrapped the exhausted Hitmonlee's arm around her neck and carried him inside the house.

"Do not count me out yet," Lee mumbled half-conscious, but Ayako ignored him.

"Lunch is ready!" Isamu called out to his wife and her Pokémon as he set three bowls of noodles in differently colored broth on the kitchen table. "That's pork ramen for me… spicy shrimp ramen for Ayako… and extra spicy oriental ramen with crushed red peppers, curry powder, and Tabasco sauce for Lee."

Ayako helped Lee into his seat and the green Pokémon began slurping away at his boiling red hot soup. "I'll go feed the Pokémon," she said as Isamu handed his Poké Balls to her and she headed back into the backyard. "Come on out, everybody!" Ayako tossed eleven Poké Balls, releasing Isamu's Blastoise, Golem, Rapidash, Pidgeot, Exeggutor, and Electabuzz as well as her own Venusaur, Sandslash, Ninetales, Slowbro, and Jolteon. She then filled their bowls with Pokémon feed before heading back inside to join Isamu and Lee for ramen.

Isamu looked out at Ayako's team of Pokémon curiously. "I notice you're only carrying five Pokémon right now," he said. "Why is that?"

"I have six in my party," Ayako replied.

"Where's the sixth one?"

Ayako smiled. "Sitting at the table with us."

Isamu looked over at Lee, who seemed surprised and touched by Ayako's words. "Well, you don't keep him in a Poké Ball, so I wasn't sure if you considered him an official part of your Pokémon team."

"Whenever a Pokémon dislikes being in its Poké Ball, any decent trainer will allow it to roam free so long as it's tame."

"I agree," Isamu nodded with a smile. "In that case, what about Cubone?"

Ayako looked over at the baby Pokémon, asleep in its crib in the living room of the house, yet clinging ever tightly to its bone. "I don't really consider him a part of my Pokémon team. He's just a baby. He can't fight."

"Just a baby? Hina's Squirtle is younger than Cubone, yet it's already shown great battle prowess!"

"That's different. Hina's Squirtle was born naturally and its father is a very strong Pokémon. Team Rocket tampered with Cubone's DNA from the time of its conception, before it had even been born. Liore was going to kill it, just as she had its mother, before you and Kinnosuke stopped her. Her reason was that Cubone was a failed experiment. It couldn't battle and so it was of no use to Team Rocket. Team Rocket only judges Pokémon by their ability to battle. You and I, however, don't judge the worth of a Pokémon's life by how well it can battle. Life is more precious than that." Ayako stared almost tearfully at the sleeping young Pokémon. "And I swore long ago that I would never let any harm befall this Pokémon. That's why I can't ever allow him to battle."

"Do not forget, Ayako-sensei," Lee interrupted, having already finished his ramen before the two humans, "that I was also considered by Team Rocket to be a failed experiment. And yet, since I met you, I have grown stronger than I had ever imagined possible. Perhaps the same could be done for Cubone!"

"Maybe when he's older," said Ayako. "He doesn't have the stamina or the determination you have, Lee. It's only because you work so hard that you've become as strong as you are now."

"I was not always this determined. You motivated me, sensei! You pushed me to be all that I can be! I believe you can do the same for Cubone!"

Again, Ayako replied, "Maybe when he's older."

Lee nodded in acceptance of Ayako's answer. Looking at Isamu, he quickly changed the subject. "May I have more ramen please? With extra curry powder this time!"

"How can you stand to have your ramen so hot?" Isamu asked as he got up to make another pot for Lee.

Just then, the sound of the front door opening was heard as Hina entered the house. She walked bashfully into the kitchen, modestly eager to show off her new Pokémon to her parents and Lee.

"Welcome home, Hina!" her father said with a hug. "How's your Pokémon journey going so far?"

"It's going well," Hina replied softly. "I, uh…"

"What is it?" asked Ayako.

"I caught… three new Pokémon…"

"Three?" Isamu gasped. "Already?"

Hina nodded. "That's right."

"Well, show them to us!"

"I will finish making the ramen while you go outside to meet Hina's new Pokémon," said Lee as he walked to the stove, his stamina having already recovered from the first bowl of ramen.

"Do you think you can handle it by yourself?" asked Isamu.

"I am sure. I will make Hina a bowl as well if she would like."

Hina watched as Lee began pouring an entire container of curry powder into a pot of water. Her stomach turned just at the sight of it.

"Th-that's okay. Thank you though."

"I'll make you one later," Isamu whispered to his daughter.

"I heard that!" Lee shouted.

Without another word, Isamu, Ayako, and Hina stepped into the backyard, where the eleven Pokémon had just finished eating and begun lounging around. Hina then pulled out four Poké Balls.

"Of course, you already know about Squirtle," said Hina as she tossed the first ball, releasing the Pokémon with whom she began her journey. "The first Pokémon I every successfully captured was… Pidgey! Go!" Hina tossed the second ball, freeing the small bird Pokémon that she had caught on Route 15. "With Pidgey's help, I was able to capture a Poison Pokémon to use against Janine. Go, Oddish!" Hina tossed the third ball, summoning Oddish in a flash of white light. "And finally, as I was about to head home, I encountered a Pokémon that isn't normally found along Route 15. This Pokémon will also be helpful against Janine. Go, Sandshrew!" Hina tossed the last Poké Ball, but the Pokémon that emerged was not at all what she expected. Instead of Sandshrew, a small, pink blob appeared with a cry of "Ditto!"

"A Ditto?" asked Isamu in confusion, having expected a Sandshrew.

"I-I don't understand! I thought it was a Sandshrew!" said Hina. She then thought back to the events from earlier in the day. "I think I know what happened. Before I found the wild Sandshrew, I battled against another trainer who used a Sandshrew. I guess this Ditto transformed into that Sandshrew and I thought it was a Sandshrew."

"Well, that explains why a wild Sandshrew would be found at Route 15," replied Isamu. "Sandshrew aren't known to have habitats in that area. Ditto, however, are known to occasionally pop up there from time to time, although they're quite rare. Route 15 happens to be where I caught my Ditto that I keep at the breeding center as well."

"It's too bad that you weren't able to capture an actual Ground type Pokémon though," said Ayako. "It would have been really helpful against Janine's Poison Pokémon."

"I guess I'll have to make do with what I've got," said Hina as she patted Ditto on the head. "I notice Ditto is a lot more docile than it was in the wild. It seemed… angry that I was capturing Pokémon and making them battle. Did catching it really change its personality so suddenly?"

"That seems to be one of the effects of Poké Balls," explained Isamu. "When a Pokémon is trapped within a Poké Ball, it undergoes a slightly altered state of mind, forcing it to become loyal to the one who captured it. With enough will power, however, some Pokémon are able to resist this effect. This is especially true of Pokémon who had previously belonged to another trainer. The only way to gain the respect of such Pokémon is to prove your strength to them. The easiest way to do this is to win gym badges."

"I've heard rumors that Bill, inventor of the Poké Ball and the Pokémon Storage System, has a master switch to all the Poké Balls in the world, and that if he so desired, he could shut the power off, releasing all the Pokémon in the world from their Poké Balls and restoring their free will," said Ayako. "It's not likely that he'd ever do this, though, as several Pokémon might turn on their trainers and attack."

"So, it's only an artificial loyalty?" Hina asked depressingly.

"Don't worry, that's only a rumor," her father reassured her.

"And even if it's true," said Ayako, "I believe that if you take good care of your Pokémon, they would love you and be loyal to you even if they had a choice."

Hina sighed. "I guess I shouldn't fret too much over it. I should probably train my Pokémon for the upcoming battle."

"You can do that after lunch," said Isamu as he poured some Pokémon feed for Hina's Pokémon, who quickly rushed to the dishes and began eating frantically. "I promised you some ramen, didn't I?"

Hina nodded. With that, the family of three entered the house again only to see Lee with his head over the sink gagging. On the table lay three finished bowls of what appeared to have previously been spicy oriental ramen.

"Lee! You had three bowls of that spicy ramen?!" Ayako shouted. "What were you thinking?! That much spicy food is too heavy for anyone's stomach, even yours!"

"I know," Lee said between gags, "but it is… painfully… delicious…" With that, Lee resumed vomiting into the sink.

"If you haven't lost your appetite by now," Isamu said to his daughter, "I'll make you a bowl of regular pork ramen."

"Thank you. I would like mine mild, please." Hina shuddered as she watched Lee.

Elsewhere in the world, Kai sat in his chair in a large laboratory petting his Persian, who purred vivaciously as if in ecstasy. Two figures stood in front of him in the dimly lit room.

"I can confirm," one of the Rocket Grunts spoke in a feminine voice, "that the daughter of Ayako and Isamu is very naïve and weak. She's a rookie trainer who is incredibly gullible and will fall into my trap easily."

"Excellent," replied Kai. "And you, Anoki? How is your plan coming along?"

"As expected, Ayako has registered her Hitmonlee for the tournament," the other Rocket Grunt, a man, responded. "No matter how much stronger he's gotten, he doesn't stand a chance against my Pokémon."

"Everything is going according to plan then," Kai smiled menacingly as he scratched Persian's neck. "When both the child and the Pokémon are captive, Isamu and Ayako will rush impulsively into our trap like the fools they are. Then I can finally have sweet revenge for all the trouble they've caused me over the years, both before and during Isamu's time in the Pokémon Rescue Force!"

Back in Fuchsia City, Isamu, Ayako, Lee, and Cubone watched as Hina trained her four Pokémon in the backyard. Squirtle and Oddish sparred on the ground while two Pidgey darted at each other repeatedly in an aerial battle.

"I wish I could resume my training," said Lee, "but my stomach still hurts."

"Well, hopefully you've learned a lesson about over-indulgence, especially when it comes to spicy foods," replied Isamu.

Hina observed the heavy breathing of her Squirtle and Oddish, followed by the slower movements of the two Flying Pokémon above her. "That's enough for right now," she said. "You can take a break.

Her Pokémon nodded as they stopped fighting, the two Pidgey landing on the ground in front of Squirtle and Oddish, where one of them reverted back into a Ditto.

"I'll be leaving in a few minutes," Hina said to her parents. "I just hope my Pokémon are ready. I also hope my strategy works."

"I'm sure it will," said Isamu. "I have confidence in you."

"I do too," Ayako agreed.

"Hina!" Lee pronounced as he leapt to his feet. "I am certain that you will be victorious! You understand that with enough hard work, even a novice can take down one of the elite!"

"Thank you," said Hina. "You've all given me more confidence in myself. Likewise, I will have confidence in my Pokémon."

"Now that I am reenergized," said Lee, looking at Ayako, "it is time for me to resume my training! Please, sensei, call out Venusaur!"

"All right, but don't push yourself this time," replied Ayako as she tossed a Poké Ball. "Venusaur, come on out!"

Venusaur emerged from the ball, ready to spar with Lee. To his shock, however, Lee reached under his flower and pulled out one of his vines, which he then proceeded to use as a jump rope. A drop of sweat rolled down Venusaur's head as he had never helped Lee practice in this manner before.

"Lee, if you wanted to jump rope, all you had to do was ask for an actual jump rope," said Ayako. "I don't think Venusaur would appreciate you using his vine."

Venusaur shook its head. "Saur. Venusaur. Venu venusaur."

"Venusaur said it is all right as long as it will help me with my training!" Lee translated.

Ayako and Isamu looked at each other and shrugged. Hina then turned to her Pokémon.

"If you all are ready," she said, "we can get head for Fuchsia Gym."

The Pokémon all called out their names and nodded as Hina withdrew them into their Poké Balls.

"Good luck, Hina!" Ayako cheered her daughter on.

"Do your best and make us proud," her father added.

"I know you can win, Hina!" Lee panted as he continued to jump rope. "Do not be afraid and do not back down!" Having been distracted, Lee stepped on Venusaur's vine and tripped, landing face forward in the grass and dirt. "Oww… please do not be as careless as I."

"I don't think she could if she tried," Isamu teased.

"Thank you, everyone," said Hina. "I'll try my best."

Without another word, Hina exited out the gate and made her way south to the Fuchsia City Gym. It was a long way to walk, but not as long as the walk to Route 15. Hina's legs were slowly getting used to long periods of walking, though she wished she had a bicycle like some trainers. Eventually, Hina arrived at the large facility, decorated with pictures of Poké Balls and a sign that advertised Fuchsia City's gym leader: "Janine, The Poisonous Ninja Mistress." Back when Hina's parents were Pokémon trainers, Fuchsia City Gym was run by Janine's father, Koga, who was known as the Poisonous Ninja Master. However, Koga had recently been promoted to the Elite Four of Indigo Plateau, and so Hina hoped that Janine, being Kanto's newest gym leader, would be inexperienced enough that Hina could defeat her. Without looking back, Hina pressed forward and entered the gym. To her surprise, the building consisted of only one large room. Several people occupied the room, but in the center stood Janine, the gym leader. Hina was intimidated by the other trainers, but she chose to ignore them and head straight for the gym leader.

"I-I take it you're… Janine?" Hina asked.

"That I am," the woman in the center of the room replied. "What do you want?"

"I've come to… battle you for a Soul Badge!"

"Another one, eh? Well, thankfully, you look a lot weaker than the last kid who came in here to pick a fight with me."

"Last kid? Do you mean—"

"Konan Matis was her name. She was quite a formidable trainer, and well, she overwhelmed me. I doubt you have what it takes though. She had a lot more fighting spirit than you, um… what's your name?"

"My name is Hina Koizumi!" Hina announced, more confident than before, having been motivated by Janine's taunting. "Konan is my rival and I will not be outdone by her! That's why I will not lose to you, no matter what!"

"Looks like I struck a chord with you by bringing up Konan, didn't I? Very well then, come over here and we can begin our match!"

Hina nodded and walked forward, only to crash into what appeared to be thin air.

"What in the world?!" she shouted as she felt the invisible wall in front of her.

"Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention," said Janine with a smug grin, "there are invisible walls and other traps set throughout this gym. You might want to be careful. While you're working your way through this maze, some of my colleagues here may end up challenging you to Pokémon battles, thus wearing out your Pokémon before you even get to face me. Good luck!"

Suddenly, Janine noticed that Hina was no longer standing in front of her. In her place, she saw a hole in the floor, much to her confusion. Looking behind her, she saw a Squirtle emerging from the floor, followed by Hina.

"I hope you don't that I took a shortcut," Hina remarked.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?!" Janine growled. "Just for that, if you lose this match, then you have to stay and board up those holes you created in the floor!"

"It's a deal."

"All right, then let's start the match! The rules here are a little different than from an ordinary Pokémon battle. We will each start with one Pokémon. When either combatant's Pokémon is unable to battle, the battle will switch to a two-on-two battle. All in all, we are each allowed to use three Pokémon total in this match. The first trainer to lose three Pokémon loses the match. Understood?"

Hina nodded. "Yes."

"Very good! Then to start things off," Janine said as she expanded a Poké Ball, "I choose you, Ariados!" Janine tossed the ball, releasing a large red spider.

"Ariados?" Hina gasped. "I never expected to see a Pokémon from the Johto region here!"

"Before I became the leader of this gym, I was journeying through Johto and collecting the gym badges there. While there, I caught a Spinarak, who later evolved into the Pokémon you see before you! But enough talk! Choose your first Pokémon!"

"I'm using Squirtle for this one!" said Hina.

"Squirtle squirtle!" the Pokémon chimed as it stepped forward.

"This shouldn't take very long," said Janine. "Ariados, use Giga Drain!"

"Giga Drain?!" Hina shouted. "That's a Grass attack! Squirtle, watch out!"

It was too late though. Ariados grabbed Squirtle with its front legs and began sapping a large amount of its strength.

"Rapid Spin now!" Hina commanded. Squirtle was successful in fending off Ariados by withdrawing into its shell and spinning rapidly. It then emerged from its shell and took on a battle-ready stance. "Now let's try a Bubble attack!"

"Bubble?! Is that the best you can do?!" Janine taunted.

Squirtle inhaled to perform its attack. Instead of bubbles, however, it shot out a powerful stream of water.

"Squirtle! You've learned Water Gun!" Hina shouted in delight.

Ariados was pushed back from the pressure of the Water Gun attack, but it eventually managed to free itself and prepare for its next attack.

"Ariados, use Poison Sting now!"

Ariados hissed as it shot several poisonous needles from its mouth at Squirtle.

"Squirtle, use Withdraw!"

Squirtle was quick to respond as it again withdrew its head, limbs, and tail into its shell. The poisonous needles bounced almost harmlessly off of the shell. Squirtle sustained little damage and was unaffected by the poison.

"You can't win this battle by defending all the time!" Janine remarked. "Ariados, use String Shot to slow it down!"

The spider Pokémon did so, and Squirtle was wrapped in spider web, which was too sticky for it to be able to move.

"Now to finish it off! Use Poison Jab!"

Ariados dashed at Squirtle, extending its front two claws, which dripped with purple poison. Hina had an expression of fear on her face until she remembered her trump card.

"Squirtle, use Dig now!" she shouted.

"Squirtle squirt!" the Pokémon replied as it leapt into the air and began spinning rapidly, drilling into the ground as it fell, removing the web in the process. Ariados's attack missed by only a few inches, and in the dust of Squirtle's last move, it grew confused, wondering where its opponent could have escaped to. Ariados looked around frantically, expecting a surprise attack from Squirtle to come from any direction.

"Below you, Ariados! It's going to attack you from below!" Janine shouted.

Unfortunately for her and her Pokémon, it was too late as Squirtle emerged from the floor, uppercutting the Bug and Poison Pokémon in the process. Ariados flew back several feet, skidding along the hardwood floor. Seeing that her Pokémon was unable to get back up, Janine withdrew Ariados back into its Poké Ball.

"You've done well so far," said Janine. "Your Pokémon is still fairly weak, especially when compared to the last girl who faced me earlier, but your strategy is superb. As you are likely already aware, Poison Pokémon are weak against Ground attacks. However, I know my Pokémon's weakness better than you do, and I have compensated. Your luck ends here as I am about to show you how true shinobi fight! My next two Pokémon will demonstrate the shinobi quality of teamwork in a way you've never seen before! My battle strategies will trump yours! Weezing #1! Weezing #2! Go!" Janine tossed two new Poké Balls, and from each emerged a Weezing, both of which cried its name simultaneously. Hina stared in fear at her two new assailants, her confidence having been hindered by Janine's taunting. "Well go on! Choose another Pokémon to assist poor little Squirtle! I don't think it can handle this one alone!"

Hina shook off her fear and attempted to retain her determination and focus. "All right, for my second Pokémon, I choose… Oddish! Go!" Hina tossed another Poké Ball, calling forth her Grass and Poison Pokémon.

"I see what you're doing there," said Janine. "You've summoned a Poison Pokémon, knowing that it's immune to being poisoned. You're not the first to think of that though, so don't get too cocky! And besides, your Squirtle is still vulnerable to poison! Weezing #1, use Poison Gas now!"

"Weezing!" one of the two floating purple balls of toxic waste cried out as it spewed a purple gas from the many holes covering its body.

"Squirtle, quickly! Go underground again!"

"Squirtle squirt!" the Pokémon cried as it dove back into one of the holes it had previously created, narrowly avoiding the poisonous fumes. Oddish faced the fumes head on and was unaffected by them.

"Now, Squirtle, hit Weezing with your Dig attack!"

Squirtle emerged from the floor once again in an attempt to uppercut the Weezing who had launched the Poison Gas attack. However, it was unable to reach Weezing as it floated safely in the air above Squirtle. Squirtle fell to the floor, its attack having failed.

Janine laughed. "I told you before, I know my Pokémon's weaknesses better than you do! I'm aware of the fact that Poison Pokémon are weak against Ground attacks, which is why most of my Pokémon either have the Float ability, as in the case with my two Weezing, or are Flying types! In any case, Ground attacks won't work on Weezing! Now, Weezing #2, use Toxic on Squirtle!"

"Weezing!" the other Weezing cried as it spit green sludge from its mouth at the small blue turtle. Squirtle fell backwards and began to flinch.

"Squirtle, no!" Hina panicked.

"You better call it back," Janine taunted and laughed. "Toxic is the deadliest Poison attack there is! The poison will gradually become worse as time passes by! But don't worry; as long as Squirtle is in its Poké Ball, the effects should be slowed down tremendously. However, it doesn't look like it's going to be able to fight anymore! You better get it to a Pokémon Center as soon as possible!"

_She's right,_ thought Hina. _Squirtle can't fight like this._ Hina pulled out Squirtle's Poké Ball and aimed it at her sickly Pokémon. "Squirtle, return!" A red beam shot out of the ball and sucked Squirtle safely back inside. _Let's see… it's either Pidgey or Ditto now. I suppose Pidgey could use its Gust attack to send the Weezings' attacks back at them, but that won't do any good. It's not like Weezing can be poisoned by its own attacks. Wait! I've got an idea!_

"You better hurry up and choose your final Pokémon," shouted Janine impatiently, "because I don't think Oddish will last very long on its own!"

"I've decided on my final Pokémon! Ditto, I choose you!" Hina tossed one last Poké Ball, out of which her pink blob of a Pokémon came forth, crying its name.

"Ditto, eh?" remarked Janine. "I get it! You're going to transform it into a Poison Pokémon so that it, too, can't be poisoned! A clever move, but unfortunately for you, it can't transform into a Pokémon it can't see! Weezing #1, use Smokescreen now!"

"Weezing!" The Poison Pokémon obeyed as it filled the room with a black smoke that enveloped the area.

"Now, both of you together!" Janine shouted. "Team Tackle attack!"

"Transform!" shouted Hina as the two Weezings flew into the smoke.

As the smoke cleared, the three Pokémon were at a stalemate. Janine gasped at the sight of three Weezings, unsure of who was who.

"You underestimate Ditto's abilities," said Hina. "One good look at an opponent is all Ditto needs! It's not going to forget an opponent's face that quickly!"

"No way! Which ones are my Weezings and which one is Ditto?!"

"Now your Weezings don't know who to attack! They might be attacking each other for all they know! Meanwhile, Ditto is safe attacking either one of his opponents! That's the mistake of using two identical Pokémon!"

"I can't believe this kid has outsmarted me!" Janine growled. "But no matter! I may not know which one is actually Ditto, but I can still always attack your Oddish! Weezings 1 and 2, team Tackle attack on Oddish, now!"

"Weezing!" two of the three Weezings shouted in unison as they flew towards Oddish.

"Oddish!" the Grass Pokémon panicked as it was tackled by the two Weezings, causing it to tumble back a few feet away toward Hina.

Janine began to laugh. "Only two of the three Weezings attacked! I knew Ditto wouldn't attack its own teammate, and in not doing so, it has revealed itself to me! Weezings 1 and 2, attack the phony Weezing behind you with yet another team Tackle attack!"

"Oddish, go take cover in one of those holes over there!" Hina commanded as she pointed to the holes in the floor that Squirtle had created earlier. Oddish scurried towards one of the holes and jumped inside. Hina then looked back at her transformed Ditto as Janine's Weezings closed in on it. She then made a command: "Ditto, use Explosion!"

"What?! Explosion?!" Janine shouted.

"Weezing!" Ditto called out as it began to glow and then burst into a fiery ball, wiping itself out in an instant. The two legitimate Weezings were unable to stop themselves in time as they flew right into blast. When the smoke cleared, three Weezings lay fainted on the floor, one of which reverted back into a Ditto.

"Ditto, return," said Hina as she withdrew her fainted Pokémon back into its ball.

"You… sacrificed your own Pokémon to take out both of mine simultaneously," said Janine as she, too, withdrew her fainted Pokémon. "Brutal, but effective. Such is the life of a shinobi, and in some cases, a Pokémon trainer as well."

At that moment, Oddish peaked out of the hole and looked around confused.

"Seeing as my Oddish is the only Pokémon left standing," said Hina, "I win the match!"

"Oddish!" the leaf-headed Pokémon squealed in delight.

"No way! That Oddish didn't even do anything throughout the entire battle!" Janine shouted. With a sigh, she then said, "Nevertheless, it was the only Pokémon who survived to the end of this battle. As proof of your victory, I present you with the Soul Badge." Janine reached into her pocket and pulled out a pink heart-shaped badge, which she handed to Hina. "Congratulations, Hina."

Hina's eyes gleamed as she stared at the badge in her palm. She could hardly believe what she had just accomplished. She was now one step closer to facing the Elite Four in the Indigo Pokémon League.

"Thank you, Janine," Hina muttered modestly. She then picked up Oddish and hugged it. "And thank you, Oddish. Even if you didn't actually fight, I still couldn't have won this battle without you."

"Oddish!" the Pokémon squealed again.

Janine watched the display of trainer-and-Pokémon affection with a smile. _This year's new trainers are the toughest I've seen in ages. I think this one might actually be the cream of the crop. Konan may be strong, but she doesn't show her Pokémon the same love that Hina does. Hina understands the importance of loving and nurturing her Pokémon, and because of that, she'll probably go even farther as a trainer than her rival._

"Remember this, Hina," said Janine. "Pokémon are living creatures just like you and me. Though they may fight for us, we must respect them and care for them as we would a human child. Right now, it would be in the best interests of your Pokémon if you got them to the Pokémon Center immediately. Don't forget that your Squirtle was poisoned a little while ago!"

Hina gasped. "That's right! I need to have him treated right away!" Hina set Oddish down and withdrew it into its Poké Ball. She then darted toward the door, only to once again crash into the invisible wall.

"As long as those holes are still in my floor," remarked Janine, "you might as well reuse them."

Later in the night, Hina lay in her bed, too excited to sleep, thinking about the amazing battle she had just fought and all the wonderful new friends she had made over the course of the day. Her one anxiety was that Konan was probably long gone by this point and would therefore beat her to the next gym just as she had beaten her to this one. However, Hina's joy outweighed her disappointment. She anxiously awaited the morning, for at the crack of dawn, she would leave home for the final time, never again to return until her journey was complete. She would miss her parents and her new friend Lee, whom she had barely gotten to know, and was disappointed that she would have to miss his fight in the Saffron City Fighting Pokémon Tournament. After all, catching up to Konan was her top priority. As Hina finally drifted into a deep sleep, she dreamt of all the challenges that awaited her on the road ahead.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The sun had barely begun to rise over the sleeping city of Fuchsia when Hina tied her tennis shoes, strapped on her backpack, and buckled her Poké Ball belt. As she headed for the door, she was greeted by her parents, who had woken up earlier than usual to say goodbye to their daughter. They exchanged silent stares for a moment, when Isamu finally spoke.

"Be safe," he said.

"Good luck on your journey," Ayako added.

"Thank you," replied Hina. "I'll do my best to make you proud."

Hina hugged her parents simultaneously. It was a difficult thing for Isamu and Ayako to let their child go, but they always knew that this day would come and they wanted their daughter to be able to grow. They were already exceedingly proud of her for having won her first gym badge and they had the utmost confidence that she would continue to win. Hina looked across the living room at Ayako's Cubone, who lay sound asleep in its crib.

"Goodbye, Cubone," she whispered. "You be good for my mom, okay?"

She then looked out the window into the backyard at Lee, who was practicing his kicks early in the morning. Hina smiled, inspired by Lee's effort.

"I know you can win that tournament, Lee," she said aloud, though Lee could not hear her from inside. "You train harder than any Pokémon I've ever met."

Before heading out the door, Hina took one last look at her parents.

"Goodbye, mom and dad. Keep taking good care of your Pokémon. I know you can take out Team Rocket and put Kai behind bars where he belongs. All the Pokémon in the world are depending on both of you."

"Just leave the dangerous work to me," replied Isamu. "You just focus on your own journey, and I'll make sure the world is a safe place for trainers like you to raise Pokémon in."

Hina nodded. "Okay. I'm going now. I'll call you on the Pokémon Center's video phone when I reach Vermilion City."

"It's a long journey spanning five routes," said Ayako. "It'll take you at least three days to get there. Make sure you pack a sleeping bag, a tent, and plenty of food."

"I already have," replied Hina. "I'll eat breakfast along the way."

"There's no need to waste any of the food you have packed." Ayako walked into the kitchen and picked up a plate covered in aluminum foil. Removing the foil, she revealed blueberry muffins. "Have a muffin or two on your way out the door."

"Thank you, I will," replied Hina as she took two muffins. "It'll be a long time before I'm able to eat anything this good again." Hina then stepped out the front door. "Goodbye."

She then closed the door, and just like that, she was gone. There was a disturbing and depressing silence in the Koizumi residence after Hina's departure. Isamu and Ayako exchanged gazes, but feeling the same sadness, which for the moment overwhelmed the pride they felt for their daughter.

"At least you've still got Cubone," Isamu finally said. "You're like a mother to him."

"Being a mother," Ayako explained, "makes me feel important. It makes me feel like I have some worth in the world if there's someone who needs you."

Isamu put an arm around his wife. "I need you too." The two kissed, not exchanging another word.

Hina, eating one of her muffins, headed east towards Route 15, intending to travel farther down the path than she had the last time she journeyed there. She had five routes to travel along in order to reach Vermilion City, counting backwards from 15 to 11. She was sure to meet other trainers along the way and therefore compete in battles, so she made sure to stop by the Poké Mart along the way to stock up on curative items. Once ready, she set off across the city line and into more hostile territory.

Later in the day, around noon, Lee was beginning to exhaust himself from training rigorously since the crack of dawn. At that moment, Ayako walked outside carrying a basket, which she set on the picnic table. Cubone rode in her jacket, its head poking out underneath Ayako's chin.

"I brought you some lunch," she said.

"Thank you, Ayako-sensei. I am grateful."

Lee removed the napkin from the top of the basket, expecting to find Cheri Berries underneath. What he found instead were packets of white and green powder, roots that somewhat resembled ginger, and green herbs tied at the roots with rubber bands.

"Wh-what are these, sensei?"

"This is an herb basket I made just for you. The white powder is Energy Powder, the root is Energy Root, the green powder is Heal Powder, and the green herbs are Revival Herbs. I had these herbs shipped all the way from Lavaridge Town in Hoenn, so they cost me quite a bit of money. You can't just eat spicy food all the time. If you're going to get into shape, you need to eat healthier, so I'm putting you on a strict diet of vegetables and herbal medicines until after the tournament."

"Five whole days without Cheri Berries or spicy ramen?!" Lee cried. "I do not know if I can last that long, Ayako-sensei!"

"You made yourself sick yesterday from eating overly spicy food! Your food won't do you any good if you spit it up afterwards! For these next five days, it's healthy eating for you!"

"May I eat Cheri Berries again after the tournament?"

Ayako sighed with a smile. "Of course."

"Woo hoo!" Lee cheered, leaping into the air cheerfully and following it up with his silly dance routine. Lee's dancing was cut short when he was suddenly struck on the head by Cubone's bone, at which time Lee fell backwards, his eyeballs spinning in his head and a large bump on his forehead.

"Cubone!" Ayako scolded as she knelt down to Lee's side. "Are you all right?"

"Energy Root, please," Lee muttered, barely conscious. Ayako handed one of the ginger-like roots to Lee, which he proceeded to eat. Lee chewed a few times, then slowed down, his face turning a different shade of green that it had been before. He finally managed to swallow the root. "Blegh! It is so bitter! I do not like bitter foods!"

"Just try to stomach it until the tournament is over," Ayako sighed. "As promised, you can go back to eating spicy foods afterwards."

Three days passed. Hina had grown weary from her travels, as had her Pokémon, who had been living off of berries and water for the past seventy-two hours and depended only on Potions to tend to their battle injuries as Hina had not come across a Pokémon Center since she left Fuchsia City. Hina was walking northward along the docks of Route 12 above Kanto's eastern shoreline. Hina was filled with relief when she saw a fork in the road up ahead, along with a sign pointing her in two directions: forward to Lavender Town and left to Vermilion City along Route 11. Hina chose the latter route, happily knowing that it was the last route she had to take before she would finally reach her destination, Vermilion City, home of the world renowned war veteran Lieutenant Surge, leader of the Vermilion City Pokémon Gym.

As Hina made her way down Route 11, she crossed into a narrow path between two large mountains. She began panting heavily, desperately wanting to see a town again. Her eyes began gleaming when she reached the end of the narrow path, at which time she saw to her right a cave with a sign marking it as "Diglett's Cave." To her left, she saw something even more suggestive of civilization: a dock labeled "Vermilion Harbor." Sitting at the end of the dock was a large cruise ship with the name "S.S. Anne" painted on the side. This ship was known for hosting fancy parties for the wealthy at various locations around the world and Vermilion City was a regular stop for it. As Hina pressed forward, she began to see many buildings in the city, as well as a sign welcoming her to Vermilion City, "The Port of Exquisite Sunsets."

Hina was excited to be seeing a new town for the first time in her life. In ten years of living, she had never once stepped foot outside of Fuchsia City until her first venture onto Route 15, aside from occasional trips to the beach along Route 19. Even then, she had not travelled very far from home. Now, however, she was a long way from home and she looked forward to taking in the sights. Unfortunately, as if to remind her of her original purpose for coming to Vermilion City and that she was pressed for time, Hina came face-to-face with her rival in Pokémon training, Konan.

"Well look who decided to show up!" Konan taunted, much to Hina's annoyance.

"Please do not bother me," Hina requested. "I'm not here to toy around with you. I have to compete for a Thunder Badge now."

"You mean one of these?" Konan held up a red, circular badge with several yellow circles surrounding it. "I just earned mine!"

_She only just now won that? Good, then I'm not too far behind her!_

"So, did you even win the Soul Badge with that pathetic Squirtle of yours or did you decide to come try your luck here instead?" Konan continued to taunt. "If that's the case, you're out of luck because Squirtle stands even less of a chance against Lt. Surge's Electric Pokémon!"

"I… won the Soul Badge," Hina replied as she showed off her Soul Badge.

"You just got lucky, that's all! Your luck ends here though! Unlike Janine, Lt. Surge is a highly experienced trainer! He and his Pokémon have experienced war firsthand! He won't lose to someone like you! Janine is a rookie trainer by comparison!"

"I—I won't back down!"

"Your funeral," Konan scoffed. "Although, before you face off against Surge, I'd like to test your skills first. Let's see if you've improved at all since our first bout on Route 19!" At that moment, Konan pulled out a Poké Ball, as did Hina.

"I accept your challenge," said Hina. "And this time, I won't lose! Go, Squirtle!"

Hina tossed her Poké Ball, revealing her starter Pokémon, with whom Konan was already familiar.

"Squirtle again? Boring!" Konan yawned. "Poké Ball, go!" Konan then tossed her own Poké Ball, releasing a Pikachu just like the one her mother carried. "I choose you, Pikachu!"

"Pika pika!" the Pokémon shouted.

"Pikachu?!" Hina gasped. "Your Pichu already evolved?!"

"I told you that it would be a Pikachu the next time we met, didn't I? Pichu evolves quickly, in case you didn't know! And don't think that 'Dig' strategy of yours is going to work a second time! Pikachu, Thunderbolt, now!"

"PikaCHU!" the Electric Pokémon shouted as it released a large surge of electricity, stronger than the Thundershock attack that it had used as a Pichu, on Squirtle.

"Squirtle!" the turtle Pokémon cried in pain as it immediately fainted.

"Squirtle, return!" said Hina as she withdrew Squirtle back into its ball. "That was way more electricity than any Water Pokémon could ever handle!"

"Looks like only one of us has gotten significantly stronger since our last encounter! I'm surprised you even managed to get one badge!"

"I'm not done yet!" Hina refused to allow her confidence to be shattered again as she selected her next Pokémon. "Oddish, go!"

"Oddish!" the Grass and Poison Pokémon cried as it emerged from its Poké Ball.

"Pikachu, another Thunderbolt!" shouted Konan.

"PikaCHU!" Again, Pikachu shot out a blast of electricity, though Oddish did not suffer severe damage from it.

"Electric attacks aren't very effective against Grass Pokémon!" Hina explained. "Oddish, use Stun Spore now!"

"Oddish!" the small weed shouted as it sprayed a green pollen from its leaves at Pikachu. Pikachu began to flinch as it had become paralyzed.

"Now that it can't move, Absorb its energy!"

Oddish extended vines from its leafy head and wrapped them around Pikachu, at which time it began sapping away its life force.

"Pikachu, return!" Konan called her Pokémon back. "Now I choose Spearow!" Konan tossed another Poké Ball, bringing forth a brown-headed red bird Pokémon.

"Spearow!" it cried out viciously.

"Peck it now, Spearow!" The bird obeyed and began pecking away at Oddish.

"Counter with Poison Powder!" shouted Hina. Oddish released purple pollen from its leaves in order to sicken its sparrow adversary.

"Finish it with Aerial Ace!" Konan commanded. Though weakened, Spearow was able to comply as it dive-bombed Oddish at an incredible speed, causing the Grass and Poison Pokémon to faint.

"Return, Oddish!" said Hina as she withdrew it. "You fought well. Now leave everything to Pidgey! Go!" Hina tossed yet another Poké Ball and her own Normal and Flying type bird Pokémon emerged.

"You think Pidgey is a match for Spearow?" Konan laughed. "Pidgey is gentle and docile where Spearow is foul-tempered! You haven't a chance! Spearow, Fury Attack, now!"

Spearow began pecking and clawing at Pidgey rapidly, faster than Pidgey could keep up.

"Pidgey, use Sand-Attack!" Pidgey flew to the ground and began flapping its wings rapidly in order to create a cloud of sand, which got in Spearow's eyes, blinding its high-speed attacks. "That should slow it down! Now use Quick Attack!"

"Pidgey!" the bird cried as it sped into Spearow, knocking it to the ground.

"Spearow…" the weakened bird muttered as it panted heavily.

_The poison is sapping away at Spearow's strength,_ thought Konan. _I'm not giving up that easily though! _"Spearow, Peck attack, now!"

Spearow charged at Pidgey, who easily dodged, Spearow still being blinded by the Sand-Attack.

"Pidgey, use Gust!"

Pidgey began flapping its wings rapidly again, this time creating a whirlwind, which swept Spearow away and knocked it into a nearby wooden post.

"Finish it with a Tackle attack!"

"Pidgey!" the pigeon cried as it performed one final attack, which, along with the poison, took Spearow down for good.

"Spearow, return!" Konan withdrew Spearow. _Damn it. The only Pokémon I have left is Bellsprout. It has a type disadvantage. Oh well, I'd rather go down fighting than just surrender!_ "Bellsprout, I choose you!" Konan tossed her final Poké Ball, revealing a yellow, bell-headed Pokémon with a thin stem for a body, two leaves for hands, and roots for feet.

"A Grass type?" asked Hina. "That should be easy enough! Pidgey, Gust attack, now!"

Pidgey created another whirlwind with its wings. The light-weighted Bellsprout could not hold its ground as it was blown several feet into the air and sent crashing down hard. Bellsprout fainted immediately.

"I thought so," Konan sighed as she withdrew her final Pokémon. "I concede defeat. Though I hate to admit it, you have gotten better since the last time we battled."

"I-I won?" Hina was shocked. "I beat Konan! And I didn't even use all my Pokémon!"

"That's right, I only have three Pokémon. Looking at your belt, I can see you've caught four, so even if I had defeated Pidgey, you probably would've won anyway due simply to the safety-in-numbers rule."

Hina's shock was intensified when her Pidgey suddenly began glowing. Hina gasped as her eyes widened.

"Pidgey? Are you okay?! What's going on?!" Hina panicked.

"You idiot! There's nothing wrong with your Pokémon! It's just evolving!"

"E-evolving?!" Hina's expression changed from one of fear to one of delight. "All those battles along Routes 11-15, along with this battle, must have given it the experience needed to evolve!"

The glowing silhouette of Pidgey grew in size and took on the shape of a new and different Pokémon. The glowing stopped, revealing the red-crested bird known as Pidgeotto.

"Pidge…otto…" Hina muttered. "My very first evolved Pokémon!" Hina grabbed her newly evolved Pokémon and hugged it. "Congratulations on your evolution, Pidgeotto!"

"Pidgeoh!" Pidgeotto replied.

"I'll leave you two turtle doves alone," Konan said sarcastically. "If you'll excuse me, I'm on my way to Saffron to get the Marsh Badge. Later!" With that, Konan headed off to the north.

_She's already on her way to get her third badge?!_ Hina panicked. _I haven't even gotten my second one yet! I have to hurry!_ Hina withdrew Pidgeotto into its Poké Ball and headed toward the Pokémon Center to heal her Pokémon. A thought then occurred to her. _Saffron City isn't real far from here. Lee's tournament is in just two more days. I wonder if I'll be able to make it in time to watch him compete. For right now, though, I need to focus on beating Lt. Surge. If Konan was able to beat him, then I should be able to as well. After all, I just beat Konan. I just have to be confident in my Pokémon's abilities!_

Back in Fuchsia City, Ayako had begun to pit her other five Pokémon in battle against Lee, who was growing ever stronger and ever anxious as the tournament drew closer. At the same time, it felt as if time was going by very slowly and Lee could not wait to test his skills in a real battle. As if to add to his anxieties, Lee was constantly being reminded that this tournament was no longer simply a test of his skill but also an important mission. Isamu was taking a risk in allowing Lee to compete in lieu of registering one of his own more experienced Fighting Pokémon. Unfortunately, Isamu could not enter the tournament if Ayako was entering since they were married and that would double their family's odds of winning the prize money. As a result, Isamu had to put all his faith into Lee.

Lee held a fighting pose as he was surrounded from five sides: Venusaur to the north, Sandslash to the northwest, Ninetales to the northeast, Jolteon to the southwest, and Slowbro to the southeast. The five Pokémon held their positions momentarily until a leaf blowing in the wind drifted slowly past the six Pokémon, having been summoned by Venusaur to cue his comrades to jump into action. Each Pokémon, with the exception of Slowbro, leapt at Lee, who fended each one off with his kicks, dodging frontal assaults and blocking attacks from the sides and behind with his arms, and also taking advantage of his legs' ability to stretch. Much to the observant Ayako's surprise, Lee was able to fend off all four of his assailants, who stepped back to catch their breath and regroup. Lee faced them all in a fierce fighting pose, his hand outstretched, his palm inward.

Lee then glanced over at Slowbro, who continued to stare blankly at Lee, its mouth open and its expression unchanging. Fearing that Slowbro was planning something, Lee attempted to step back cautiously when he suddenly realized that he was unable to move, much to his shock.

"You have caught me!" he pronounced.

Isamu, Ayako, and Cubone looked toward Slowbro and saw that his eyes were glowing blue. It was then that a blue aura began to envelop Lee, thickening as Slowbro's powers intensified.

"Lee's at a disadvantage here," Isamu commented. "Slowbro is a Psychic Pokémon, and no matter how hard Lee trains, he can't change the fact that Fighting Pokémon are weak against Psychic Pokémon."

"I can… overcome this!" Lee growled in pain. "I will show you! With enough hard work and effort, I can even beat… a Psychic Pokémon!"

Lee struggled to resist Slowbro's telekinetic grip as the large pink Pokémon levitated the struggling Fighting Pokémon into the air.

_It is now… or never!_ Thought Lee. _Hidden Power… help me now!_

Suddenly, a gust of leaves swept into the backyard in the direction of Lee and Slowbro. The spectators glanced at Venusaur, expecting that he was the one who had summoned the leaves.

"Razor Leaf?" asked Isamu.

Ayako observed the leaves closely. "No… these leaves are different."

As the leaves drew closer, they pierced Slowbro, severely damaging it and interrupting its Psychic attack, thus releasing Lee, who followed the leaf-based attack with a roundhouse kick.

"Leaf Hurricane!" he shouted as he smacked Slowbro in the jaw with his outstretched foot, knocking the unsuspecting Pokémon over. All the spectators, human and Pokémon, gasped at what Lee had just done.

"Did Lee summon those leaves?" Isamu wondered.

"It would seem so," replied Ayako. "He's the only one who would have attacked Slowbro just now."

"It was me," Lee answered. "I have done this before when sparring with Venusaur. I do not know how to explain it. It is just… a power that lies dormant within me and is only able to come out when I am in desperate need of it."

"It must be your Hidden Power," Ayako concluded. "And it seems your Hidden Power type is Grass."

"With enough training, you may be able to hone your Hidden Power more effectively in the heat of battle," Isamu added. "It could come in handy in the tournament should you fight a Poliwrath or some other Pokémon with a weakness to Grass."

"It certainly saved me just now," replied Lee. "Still, it would have been more helpful for fending off Psychic types if my Hidden Power type had been Bug, Ghost, or Dark. Still, I am grateful for whatever gifts I may have, because I do not have many."

"Slowbro!" the injured Slowbro cried out, having only just then felt the pain of the blow that it had been dealt, much to the astonishment of everyone around.

"For Lee to have beaten Slowbro despite having a major handicap," commented Isamu, "he's got some real talent. I think he's just about ready for this tournament."

_Lee…_ thought Ayako. _You just keep getting stronger. To think you were once considered a failed experiment. Who would've known that you had this much hidden potential?_

"On another note," Lee said, changing the subject, "I wonder how Hina is doing in her own journey. It has been three days since she set out for Vermilion, has it not?"

"You're right," replied Ayako. "I hope she made it to Vermilion all right."

"I'm sure she's fine," said Isamu. "Still, she should be there about now. Once she reaches a Pokémon Center, she's supposed to call us."

Just then, the sound of a phone ringing could be heard from inside. Ayako withdrew all of her Pokémon, excepting Lee and Cubone, and she, Isamu, Lee, and Cubone entered the house, where Isamu answered the video phone. An image of Hina appeared onscreen, and back in the Vermilion City Pokémon Center, the images of Hina's parents and the two Pokémon appeared on the public video phone's screen.

"Hina!" exclaimed Isamu in delight. "I take it you made it to Vermilion City safely?"

"That's right," Hina replied with a nod. "My Pokémon are being healed right now. I battled a lot of trainers on the way here, including Konan."

"Did you win?" Ayako asked almost anxiously.

Hina nodded again. "I did! And because of it, I feel more confident about going up against Lt. Surge. You see, Konan is still ahead of me and she's already beaten Lt. Surge."

"I see where you are getting," Lee interrupted. "By a simple law of inference, if you beat Konan and Konan beat Surge, then you should have no trouble beating Surge as well!"

"Exactly," said Hina somewhat bashfully in an effort to retain her modesty. "A-also, Saffron City is my next destination, so… I might be able to make it in time to watch Lee's match. The Fighting Dojo is right next door to the Saffron City Pokémon Gym, so it shouldn't cost me too much time."

Isamu and Ayako exchanged stern looks, then turned back to the screen.

"Don't go to the Fighting Dojo, Hina," said Isamu. "If there's a chance that Team Rocket will be there, then I don't want to endanger you. I didn't even want your mother to get involved and was willing to register Lee for the tournament myself, but she insisted on being Lee's trainer for the match."

Hina sighed. "All right. Good luck in your match, Lee!" Hina's expression quickly changed to an encouraging smile.

"Thank you, Hina!" replied Lee with a bow. "I wish you luck as well!" With that, Lee gave a thumbs up.

"Hina?" a female nurse called out from behind the counter at the Pokémon Center. "Your Pokémon are ready."

"Thank you!" Hina replied. "Well, I should get going now. I'd like to beat Surge before the day is over so that I can begin my journey to Saffron tomorrow." Isamu shot Hina an intimidating look. "I-I won't go to the Fighting Dojo. I just want to catch up to Konan, that's all."

"Good," replied Isamu softly, trying to mask the pain that this hypothetical situation alone was causing him. "Good luck in your match."

"Good luck," Ayako repeated.

"Thank you," said Hina. "Goodbye." Both screens went black as Hina shut off the power and went to retrieve her Pokémon from the nurse. She then had a realization: _I forgot to tell them that my Pidgey evolved. Oh well. I'll tell them next time._

Hina left the Pokémon Center and headed south towards the Pokémon Gym, more motivated and determined than she had ever been. After having won her first gym battle and defeated her rival, Hina's confidence was high. As Hina neared the ocean, Vermilion Gym came within view, located right along the coast with a spectacular ocean view. The environment seemed almost welcoming in spite of it being a place of intense combat run by a war veteran. Without flinching or looking back, Hina entered the double doors, at which time the atmosphere abruptly changed. The gym looked more like an army barracks facility, with metallic floors, trash cans, and three rugged-looking men.

"E-excuse me," said Hina, suddenly intimidated. "Which one of you is Lieutenant Surge?"

"None of us," one of the men replied. "Surge is behind that there door!" The man pointed in the direction of a metallic door opposite from the front door. "But in order to get to him, you have to solve a puzzle! Each of these trash cans has a switch. You have to activate the two correct switches in order to open the door to Lt. Surge's room. The second switch will always be adjacent to the incorrect switch, but be careful! If you pick the wrong second switch, then the switches will reset and you'll have to search for the first switch all over again!" At that moment, the man suddenly noticed a hole had been drilled in the floor where Hina once stood. "What just happened?"

"The girl's Squirtle just dug a hole in the floor," one of the other men replied.

"I hate it when they're too lazy to solve the gym leader puzzle," the third man sighed.

On the other side of the door, Lt. Surge looked at the floor in confusion as he noticed it begin to rumble until suddenly, a Squirtle popped out of the ground, followed by Hina.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Surge shouted. "Just who do you think you are, wrecking my gym up like this?"

"I'm in a hurry, so I decided not to bother with the gym leader puzzle," Hina replied. "I'd like to challenge you for a Thunder Badge."

"Why should I give you a badge when you just damaged my gym?!" Surge demanded.

"Doesn't it get damaged anyway from all the Pokémon battles that take place here?" asked Hina.

Lt. Surge paused. "Yes, I suppose so. I am constantly having to patch things up around here. Very well! If it's a match you want, it's a match you'll get! I'll make you pay for wrecking up my gym before our match had even begun!" Surge pulled out a Poké Ball and expanded it. "We'll each use three Pokémon in this battle. The battles will all be one-on-one. For my first Pokémon, I choose… Voltorb! Go!" Surge tossed the Poké Ball he was holding and what appeared to be another, larger Poké Ball appeared in a flash of light. However, this supposed Poké Ball had eyes.

"Squirtle, you know what to do!" Hina said to her already released Pokémon. Squirtle nodded with an utterance of its name.

"A Water type? Are you insane?!" Surge taunted. At that moment, Squirtle dug another hole in the floor. "Oh, I see what you did there! I guess I should've seen that coming since that's how you entered this room! But it's not foolproof! Voltorb, use a Swift attack!"

"Voltorb!" the red and white Pokémon said in an electronic-sounding voice as it shot several stars into the hole, where they tracked down and smacked into Squirtle. The blue turtle Pokémon yelped in pain, but the damage was not severe.

"Swift may have 100% accuracy," said Hina, "but it's a weak attack! Squirtle, use Dig!"

"Squirtle!" the Water Pokémon yelled as it emerged from the floor through another hole and uppercut Voltorb, sending it rolling backwards. Surge was unfazed by Hina's strategy.

"Voltorb, use Thunder!" the lieutenant ordered.

"Voltorb!" The Electric Pokémon obeyed and, due to the close proximity of its target, was able to land a powerful Electric attack on Squirtle, badly zapping it until it fainted.

"Squirtle, return!" said Hina as she withdrew her injured Pokémon into its ball. _I didn't expect Squirtle to last long here anyway. At least it did some damage though._ "Oddish, it's your turn!" Hina selected her next Poké Ball, and from it emerged her Grass and Poison type Pokémon. "Your Electric attacks won't be so effective against a Grass type! Oddish, use Absorb!"

"Oddish!" the little plant cried as it extended its vines and wrapped them around Voltorb in order to suck its energy away.

"Voltorb, counter with Thunder Wave!" Surge commanded. The spherical Pokémon sent a surge of electricity through Oddish's vines, paralyzing it and allowing Voltorb to break free. "Now hit it with a Rollout attack!" The ball Pokémon spun toward its immobilized target and knocked it several feet away. The paralyzed Oddish could not stand back up.

"Return, Oddish!" Hina said as she called her Pokémon back into its Poké Ball with a beam of red light. _What do I do? He already took down two of my Pokémon with only one of his! I can't use Pidgeotto here since Flying types are weak against Electric types. Guess that only leaves one option._ "Ditto, go!" Hina tossed her final Poké Ball, out of which came her Ditto. "Transform now!"

"Ditto!" the Normal-type Pokémon replied as it observed its opponent and transformed into a perfect replica.

"No imitation is going to beat the real McCoy!" said Surge. "Voltorb, use Self-Destruct now!"

"Self-Destruct?!" Hina gasped in terror as she watched the real Voltorb explode, taking both itself and the transformed Ditto out. Hina was horrified at how quickly and brutally the match had ended.

"You have exhausted your three-Pokémon limit, whereas I still have two Pokémon left in reserve," the lieutenant explained. "Therefore, I win!"

Hina fell to her knees as she held out Ditto's Poké Ball and withdrew it. Surge did the same with his Voltorb, his laughs echoing through Hina's ears, practically slicing into her self-esteem. Lt. Surge then opened the metal door separating his room from the rest of the gym.

"Go home, kid!" he laughed as Hina walked out of the gym, her head down and eyes on the floor the entire time. She continued to hear Surge laugh mockingly at her until she had returned outside and the double doors had closed behind her.

_I've failed. I didn't just lose though. He wiped the floor with me! Maybe I'm not cut out to be a Pokémon trainer. The Pokémon League is only for the most elite of trainers. By comparison, I'm a joke. It's only by a fluke that I beat Janine._

Hina suddenly remembered something Lee had said to her: _"I am certain that you will be victorious! You understand that with enough hard work, even a novice can take down one of the elite!"_ Hina began to remember all of Lee's hard work and ridiculous training and how he became incredibly strong after having previously been deemed a reject of a Pokémon by Team Rocket. Hina once again felt inspired.

_I can't lose to Konan! I'm going to be Pokémon League champion! If I lost this time, all I have to do is train harder and try again! I just need to develop a battle strategy._ Hina observed the setting sun as she walked back to the Pokémon Center. _It's getting late, so I should probably check into a hotel for the night. Tomorrow, Lt. Surge and I are having a rematch! _


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The sun had set as Hina once again checked her Pokémon into the Pokémon Center. Though still determined to defeat Lt. Surge, she was disappointed in herself for losing so horribly, having failed to defeat even one of his Pokémon after using three of her own. As the nurse took Hina's Poké Balls to the back room, Hina sighed and went to the waiting room to contemplate a strategy for beating Surge. To her surprise, she met with a familiar face in the waiting room.

"M-Makoto!" Hina gasped.

"Hey, Hina!" Makoto replied. "How've you been?"

"Fine, I guess. I-I got the Soul Badge!"

"Hey, great job! I take it you're here to earn the Thunder Badge next, aren't you?"

Hina nodded. "That's right. I just faced Lt. Surge and lost."

"That's too bad. You're going to try again though, right?"

"Of course. I just need to develop a strategy."

"Well, maybe I can help. I just beat Lt. Surge and I couldn't have done it without my Sandshrew. Do you have any Ground Pokémon?"

"No. I thought I had caught a Sandshrew on Route 15, but it was just a Ditto who had transformed into your Sandshrew when we were battling."

"Ditto, huh? What other Pokémon do you have?"

"Squirtle, Pidgeotto, and Oddish."

"So, your Pidgey evolved? That's awesome! Still, it won't do you any good against Lt. Surge and his Electric Pokémon. The same goes for Squirtle. Oddish is the only Pokémon you have with a good defense against Electric attacks. However, a Ground Pokémon would be even more helpful! Electric attacks have no effect on Ground Pokémon whatsoever!"

"Do you know where I can find some Ground Pokémon?"

Makoto pondered for a moment. "The closest habitat of Ground Pokémon would probably be Diglett's Cave, located to the east just before you reach Route 11. Go there, capture a Diglett, train it, and use it to battle Lt. Surge! Oddish and perhaps Ditto can act as its backup."

"Thank you so much, Makoto," said Hina bashfully. "How is your journey through Kanto going?"

"Pretty good. Like I said earlier, I just won my Thunder Badge. Tomorrow, I'm headed to Saffron City to win a Marsh Badge. I might see you there if you can catch up."

Hina nodded. "I'll try. By the way, did you ever face Janine and win the Soul Badge?"

Makoto gasped. "You know, I forgot! It must've slipped my mind! I'll have to return to Fuchsia City at a later time, I suppose. I guess I could always taking Cycling Road from Celadon City after I win my Rainbow Badge. Anyway, I'm going to check into a hotel for the night, so I'll see you around maybe!"

"Bye," said Hina as Makoto walked away. _Wait, didn't she arrive in Fuchsia City from Cycling Road originally? That would suggest that she's already been to Celadon City. Why wouldn't she have gotten her Rainbow Badge then? Is she that forgetful? Also, why was she sitting in the waiting room unless she was waiting on her Pokémon to be healed? The nurse never called her name, so why would she leave all of a sudden? I still think there's something strange about her._ Hina shook her head. _Maybe I'm over thinking this. She's been giving me good advice and I might not have made it this far without her help. I should just be grateful._

"Hina Koizumi?" the nurse called out. "Your Pokémon are ready."

Hina went to the counter to retrieve her Poké Balls. "Thank you," she told the nurse. She, too, then decided to check into a hotel for the night, using a credit card her parents had loaned her for her journey. It would be the first time in three days that she would have slept indoors and not in a tent, so she looked forward to it.

Right around the same time, Hina's parents were also settling into bed. Isamu provided dinner to his and Ayako's Pokémon while Ayako tucked Cubone into its crib. All the while, Lee continued to train, doing pushups even as Isamu finished pouring some food for the other eleven Pokémon. Ayako stepped outside after tucking Cubone into bed.

"It's time for bed, Lee," she said.

"Just three hundred and seventy-eight more to go," Lee replied as sweat ran down his head. His arms and legs were both bruised and worn. It was amazing that Lee could even use them at all.

"You've pushed yourself to your limits and perhaps even further tonight, Lee," Isamu protested. "It's time to rest. Rest can be just as important to a Pokémon as exercise. Just think of it as a type of training."

"And if you cannot catch forty winks, you must count two hundred sheep," Ayako joked.

"Do not mock me!" Lee shouted angrily. "And believe me, I am not tired! I have little more than twenty-four hours before the tournament! I must be in top shape!"

"You've been training like this for almost two weeks!" Ayako shouted back. "Even longer than that if you count the training you did before we even heard about the tournament!"

"Your body's limitations aside," said Isamu, "you're going to keep us up all night with your constant grunting. Please be considerate of others."

"I will try to keep it down," replied Lee. "Even if I tried to sleep now, I would just suffer from insomnia. The tension is already killing me. It is impossible for me to sleep."

"Insomnia, huh?" Ayako smirked. "I know of a perfect cure for that! Venusaur!"

"Saur!" Ayako's Grass and Poison Pokémon shouted.

"Sleep Powder now!"

"Venusaur!" The gentle giant released a cloud of spores from its large, venomous flower, aiming the sleep-inducing toxins at Lee. Lee's eyes began to droop until they finally shut. Ayako and Isamu sighed in relief. However, they were shocked by what they saw next: Lee continued to perform pushups while simultaneously snoring.

"You've got to be kidding me!" shouted Isamu. "He's training even in his sleep?!"

"Willpower alone is all it takes to keep him going," replied Ayako, half-smiling and half-frowning.

"He's like the opposite of your Slowbro. When you think he's awake, he's actually asleep with his eyes open."

At the mention of Slowbro, Ayako looked over at her Water and Psychic Pokémon, who stood motionlessly, its eyes and mouth both wide open. Ayako waved her hand in front of Slowbro's face, with no reaction from the Pokémon.

"I think he's already asleep," she said. "Time for us to call it a night too."

Isamu nodded as he and Ayako withdrew their Pokémon. Isamu then looked over at Lee. "What are we going to do about him?"

"I suppose as long as he's not making any noise—" Ayako started when Lee suddenly jumped to his feet, still asleep, and began performing rapid kicks in the air, making Karate yells as he did them. Annoyed, Ayako grabbed a rope from the nearby storage shed. "We're just going to have to tie him down to the couch!"

"If we can even get near him!" said Isamu frightfully as he watched Lee perform one powerful kick after another.

"We may need some of that Sleep Powder too," Ayako remarked with a sigh.

The alarm clock in Hina's hotel room went off at precisely 8:00 am. Hina wanted to get up early so that she could capture a Diglett, defeat Lt. Surge, and set out for Saffron City before the day was over. Before heading out, Hina took advantage of the hotel's breakfast offer, feeding herself as well as her Pokémon. Once nourished, Hina withdrew her Pokémon into their Poké Balls, checked out of the hotel, and headed to the Poké Mart for supplies. There, she purchased a few more curative items as well as Poké Balls. Once she was finally ready, Hina headed back to the east toward Route 11, once again passing Vermilion Harbor, until she came to the entrance of Diglett's Cave.

Hina suddenly grew nervous at the sight of the dark cave entrance. With a quick gulp, Hina dashed into the cave, ready as she was ever going to be to face this challenge. As she walked deeper into the cave, she was pleasantly surprised by what she saw: several Digletts popped their heads out of the ground and went back under, all the while chanting, "Diglett dig! Diglett dig!" Their strange yet harmless behavior reminded Hina of a game of Whack-a-Mole. Catching one of these Pokémon would be a simple task, it seemed. Reaching for her belt, Hina pulled out, expanded, and tossed one of her Poké Balls.

"Squirtle, go!" Hina shouted as the blue turtle appeared, crying its own name. The Digletts in the cave were alarmed as they all stopped their chanting and froze, staring at Hina and Squirtle. "Drown them out of their holes with your Water Gun attack!"

"Squirtle!" the Water Pokémon shouted as it began spraying water from its mouth into one of the unoccupied holes left by a Diglett earlier. As Squirtle continued to fill the hole with water, water began to emerge from the other holes, eventually forcing the yelping Digletts to flee to the back of the cave.

"After them!" shouted Hina as she prepared an empty Poké Ball and chased after the Digletts, Squirtle following close behind.

Suddenly, Hina and Squirtle could feel a rumbling beneath them, causing them both to stumble forward. Holding themselves up with their hands and knees, Hina and Squirtle looked ahead of themselves to see a Dugtrio emerge from the ground.

"Trio trio trio!" the three heads of the Dugtrio each shouted menacingly.

"It's a Dugtrio!" Hina gasped as she and her Pokémon stood back up. "The evolved form of Diglett! If I can capture it, I'll beat Lt. Surge for sure!"

"Trio!" the Ground Pokémon shouted as it dove underground and caused an earthquake, causing Hina to fall back down onto her bottom.

"After it, Squirtle! Use your own Dig attack!"

"Squirtle!" The blue Pokémon dug its way underground only to quickly be knocked back above ground by a quick-emerging Dugtrio.

_Of course,_ thought Hina. _It's trying to take the battle underground because it has the advantage in that sort of terrain. Still, Squirtle has the type advantage here! And luckily, I discovered during my travels that Squirtle has inherited another of my father's Blastoise's attacks!_

"Squirtle!" shouted Hina. "Use Surf!"

"Squirtle!" the little turtle cried as it conjured up the water beneath the earth. Suddenly, all the holes in the cave began to act as geysers, including the one Dugtrio was in. Hina kept her distance in an effort to keep dry as Squirtle rode the resulting wave, carefully controlling it so that it did not hurt its trainer. The wave crashed into Dugtrio from above, who was also being soaked from underneath. When the water cleared up, Dugtrio bobbed up and down in its hole, still floating helplessly in the water. Hina then prepared an empty Poké Ball.

"Poké Ball, go!" Hina tossed the red and white ball and Dugtrio was sucked inside. The ball began to shake repeatedly, its button glowing red, but it soon stopped and the light dimmed. Hina proudly picked up the Poké Ball containing her fifth and newest Pokémon. "It's been a while, but I've caught a new Pokémon!"

"Squirtle!" Hina's Pokémon congratulated its trainer.

Happy with her capture, Hina withdrew Squirtle and exited the cave the way she entered. Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched from afar. A figure lurked in the shadows of the trees beside the entrance to Diglett's Cave, watching Hina as she walked out of the cave and back towards Vermilion City. Once the coast was clear, the figure stepped out of hiding and smirked. It was Makoto.

_That child will do anything I tell her to,_ she thought. _I'll meet up with her again in Saffron City, at which time my plan can come to fruition._

After a long trek, Hina finally made it back to Vermilion City Gym. Though she had not spent any time training her newly captured Pokémon, she felt that it might not be necessary since she had managed to capture a Dugtrio rather than just a Diglett. Hina had also spent the entire previous night devising a backup strategy in the event that her primary strategy of using a Ground Pokémon should fail. Again, Hina entered the gym through the double doors, where she saw Lt. Surge boarding up the hole her Squirtle had created the previous day.

"You again?!" shouted Surge. "Back for more, eh? You owe me for this floor, you know!"

"Lieutenant Surge," said Hina, trying not to shiver or sweat, "I challenge you to a rematch!"

"You've got to be kidding me! After how badly I kicked your ass last time, you want a rematch?!"

"I am confident that this time, I will win. I have a new strategy and a new Pokémon that will lead me to victory."

"Your funeral. However, if you lose this time, you have to pay for a new floor!"

"That's what the last gym leader whose floor I destroyed said, right before I beat her!"

Lt. Surge guided Hina into his private room, where each expanded a Poké Ball.

"The rules are the same as last time," Surge explained. "Each trainer will use three Pokémon. The matches will all be one-on-one. To start, I once again choose Voltorb!"

Lt. Surge tossed the Poké Ball, again calling for his spherical, red and white Electric Pokémon.

"And for my first Pokémon, I choose… Dugtrio! Go!" Hina tossed her own Poké Ball towards one of the holes that her Squirtle had created in the previous battle. From out of that hole appeared the three-headed Ground Pokémon Dugtrio.

"That must be the new Pokémon you mentioned," said Surge. "Though it has a type advantage, it's horribly inexperienced, especially in comparison to my Pokémon! My Pokémon have all experienced actual war and battles for their very lives! There's no way they'll lose to a Pokémon like that! Voltorb, use Rollout!"

_A Rock attack shouldn't have much effect against Dugtrio,_ thought Hina. Voltorb rolled towards Dugtrio and smacked it hard, stunning it momentarily. _But then again, as Surge just explained, Voltorb has the experience advantage, so I'd better not toy around._

"Dugtrio, use Earthquake!"

"Trio trio trio!" the three heads shouted as they began shaking the earth around themselves. A fissure was formed in the floor underneath Voltorb, creating a crevice into which it fell.

"That's one down and two to go!" said Hina.

"Don't get too cocky!" replied Surge. "Voltorb's health may be low, but it still has one trick left, its last resort: Self-Destruct!"

"Using it rather early this time, aren't you?" Hina taunted. "Last time, you didn't use that move until the very end of the battle!"

Surge ignored Hina's remark and simply made his move: "Voltorb, use Self-Destruct now!"

"Voltorb!" the Pokémon cried robotically as it bounced out of the crevice towards Dugtrio and began glowing.

"Dugtrio, quickly! Go underground!" shouted Hina.

"Trio!" the Ground Pokémon replied as it obeyed its trainer's command, allowing it to narrowly avoid the ensuing explosion. Voltorb lay fainted, its opponent unharmed.

"You crafty little bitch!" Surge laughed as he withdrew Voltorb. "All right, I admit that you've gotten better! However, I'm done going easy on you!" Surge tossed another Poké Ball. "Pikachu, go!"

Hina's stomach turned at the sight of the next Pokémon she had to face: the red-cheeked, yellow mouse-like Pokémon both her rival and her rival's mother were known for using. Hina felt a strange animosity towards this particular Pokémon and was especially eager to pummel it into a coma.

"Dugtrio, finish your Dig attack!" Hina shouted, feeling strangely fired up. Dugtrio popped out of the floor and knocked Pikachu back several feet.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" ordered Lt. Surge.

Pikachu began running circles around Dugtrio at incredible speed, causing the Ground Pokémon to become dizzy.

"You have three heads, Dugtrio!" shouted Hina. "Have each of your heads face a different direction and watch for Pikachu's attack!"

Hina's command came too late as Pikachu dove into Dugtrio, hitting it hard and fast.

"Dugtrio, use Sand Tomb!"

"Trio trio trio!" the Pokémon replied as it created a small sandstorm and sent it after Pikachu.

"Agility, now!" ordered Surge.

"Pi! Pi!" Pikachu cried while rapidly dodging Dugtrio's attack.

"Now take it down with a Surf attack!"

"Surf?!" shouted Hina. "Pikachu can learn Surf?"

"PikaCHU!" Pikachu shouted as it raised its arms and water began to emerge from the many holes in the room created by Hina's Squirtle and Dugtrio. Pikachu then grabbed a surf board that was hanging on the wall and used it to ride the wave, which it guided towards Dugtrio, who was unable to avoid the attack even by its usual defense of hiding underground. Hina cringed at the sight of her new Pokémon nearly drowning.

"Dugtrio, return!" said Hina as she withdrew the defeated Pokémon into its Poké Ball.

"It's very rare that a Pikachu can learn Surf, but a few trainers have managed to pull this off," said Surge. "It's always a good idea to teach your Pokémon an attack that it can use against its weakness. Of course, you probably already knew that seeing as you taught your Squirtle how to use Dig. However, you're not the only one who's thought of that strategy!"

_Gym leaders are no pushovers,_ thought Hina. _Though they generally only use one Pokémon type, they know what their type's weaknesses are and so they expect trainers to use those types of Pokémon. They're prepared for those types of situations though. For example, Janine uses Poison Pokémon, which are weak against Ground Pokémon, so she compensates for this weakness by using Pokémon with the Float ability like Weezing. Likewise, Lt. Surge uses Electric Pokémon, which are also weak against Ground Pokémon. He's countered this weakness by teaching one of his Pokémon a Water attack to fend off Ground Pokémon. I need to try a different approach!_

"For my next Pokémon, I choose… Oddish! Go!" Hina tossed another Poké Ball and her Grass and Poison Pokémon emerged.

"Again with the Oddish, huh?" laughed Surge. "Well, Grass types are good at withstanding both Electric and Water attacks, I'll give you that. However, Grass Pokémon are among the slowest types of Pokémon around, while Electric Pokémon are arguably the fastest! There's no way Oddish can defeat Pikachu if not even Dugtrio could keep up! Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

"Pi! Pi!" Pikachu began shouting again as it ran in circles around Oddish.

"Oddish, Sleep Powder now!" ordered Hina.

"Oddish!" said the Grass Pokémon as it released a cloud of dust all around itself. As Pikachu prepared to deliver its attack, it rushed right into the Sleep Powder and stopped just an inch from landing a blow on Oddish. It then fell over and began sleeping.

"Now Absorb its life away!" Hina shouted almost villainously, enjoying the thought of draining away Pikachu's life.

"Oddish!" the little blue radish cried as vines extended out from the leaves on its head and wrapped themselves around the slumbering Pikachu. The vines then began to drain Pikachu's energy while the yellow mouse continued to sleep, unaware of its predicament. Gradually, Pikachu's breathing became less rapid.

"You better withdraw it before it dies," said Hina, not actually wanting to kill Lt. Surge's Pikachu. She had nothing against this particular specimen personally, but as it reminded her of her greatest rival as well as her mother's greatest rival, she had grown to be not too fond of the species in general.

"Pikachu, return," said Surge calmly as he withdrew the fainted Pokémon. "You have done well to get this far. It's hard to believe you're the same trainer I defeated yesterday. However, your success ends here! Raichu, I choose you!" Surge tossed his final Poké Ball, revealing an even bigger Electric mouse Pokémon.

"Raichu!" it shouted as it looked down on Oddish menacingly.

"Raichu? The evolved form of Pikachu?!" said Hina worriedly. "You can do it, Oddish! Just use Sleep Powder again!"

"Agility, now!" shouted Surge. Raichu was easily able to dodge the blast of Sleep Powder that Oddish released. "Now, follow it up with Tail Whip and Tackle!" Raichu did so, tripping Oddish with its tail and then throwing its weight onto the small radish.

"Oddish!" shouted Hina. To her relief, Oddish managed to free itself from under Raichu. "Try a Vine Whip!"

"Oddish!" the Pokémon replied as it began whipping Raichu with its vines. To its surprise, Raichu grabbed one of its vines and held onto it tightly.

Lt. Surge smirked. "Raichu, send a Thunderbolt through its vine!"

"RaiCHU!" the Electric mouse cried as it did as its trainer had commanded. Electricity surged through Oddish's vine, zapping the Pokémon from within. Oddish squealed in pain as it began to kneel on one knee.

"Oddish… you've had enough," said Hina.

"Oddish!" the plant smirked as if things were going exactly the way it wanted. It then began to reel its vine in, bringing Raichu closer to it.

Hina gasped in awe. "Oddish! That's amazing! Now that it's close, hit it with Stun Spore!"

"Oddish!" The Grass Pokémon unleashed a differently colored cloud of dust than Sleep Powder. This time, the move connected, hitting Raichu in the face. Raichu accidentally inhaled some of the Stun Spore through its nose and began twitching.

"Yes! Raichu is paralyzed!" said Hina.

"Raichu!" shouted Lt. Surge. "Two can play at that game! Raichu, channel a Thunder Wave through Oddish's vine!"

"Rai… chu…" the Pokémon muttered as another wave of electricity flowed through Oddish's vine, which Raichu was still gripping. Oddish, too, began to twitch from paralysis. The two Pokémon appeared to be at a standstill, unable to move.

"Heh," laughed Surge. "It would appear to be a stalemate, but this match is still mine! Raichu, Thunder!"

"RaiCHU!" Raichu charged electricity and shot an enormous jolt through Oddish's vine and into the Pokémon's central nervous system, causing the plant to squeal in pain.

"Oddish! That much electricity could destroy Oddish's internal organs!" said Hina as her Pokémon finally collapsed. Hina withdrew Oddish into its Poké Ball. "Oddish, return," she said, holding back her tears.

_He fought so hard… for me. Even when I thought he'd had enough, he came up with his own strategy to try and win this match._

"Thank you, Oddish. You need to rest now. I already have this match pretty much won." With that, Hina tossed her final Poké Ball. "For my final Pokémon, I choose… Ditto!"

Ditto emerged from its Poké Ball with a cry of "Ditto!" It then faced its opponent, the paralyzed Raichu.

"With Raichu paralyzed, I'd say my odds of success are fairly high," said Hina. "Ditto, Transform!"

"Ditto!" The pink blob began to glow as it shapeshifted into Raichu, at which time it stopped glowing. "Raichu!"

"Your own best weapons can be used against you, Surge," Hina lectured. "I shall give you a demonstration of that now. Ditto, use Quick Attack!"

"Rai! Chu! Rai! Chu!" shouted the Raichu copy as it spun around its paralyzed opponent, who was unable to keep up due to its inability to move its head. Even its eyeballs had limited mobility. Ditto then tackled the real Raichu at high speed, knocking it onto its feet, where it was unable to get up.

"And… I win," said Hina almost smugly.

"Not so fast! I have another trump card!" shouted Lt. Surge. "Raichu, Earthquake, now!"

"Earthquake?!" Hina panicked. "You mean you also taught your Electric Pokémon how to use Ground attacks?!"

Surge laughed. "It's not an uncommon strategy for trainers who face me to use Electric Pokémon of their own. After all, Electric attacks aren't very effective against other Electric Pokémon."

"Raichu…" the real Raichu muttered as the ground beneath it began to shake.

"Rai! Chu!" said Ditto as it began to stumble around dizzily.

"Since Ditto transformed into Raichu," Surge went on, "that makes Ditto an Electric Pokémon! And with the type comes all of its elemental advantages and disadvantages; in this case, a major disadvantage!"

"Don't forget," said Hina, "that we currently share all the same strengths and weaknesses. When Ditto transforms, it copies all of its opponent's abilities. Ditto, counter with your own Earthquake!"

Ditto pressed its feet back down onto the ground and reversed the tremor of the quake back in the direction of Raichu, who was still lying on its face. A fissure opened and Raichu fell in, unable to even crawl out of the way. Ditto then began to pant, its hands on its knees. Hina and Lt. Surge both approached the fissure and looked at Raichu, who did not show any signs of life other than a faint and steady breathing.

"Raichu… is defeated," said Surge as he pulled out a Poké Ball and withdrew Raichu. "In such a short time, you have grown tremendously as a Pokémon trainer. You only caught one new Pokémon since we last fought, and while you did utilize it in this battle, you also made better use of the Pokémon you already owned. You seem to understand that it is not what Pokémon you use that determines success in a battle, but rather how you use the Pokémon you have. But besides your improved strategy, I noticed a growth in your confidence as well. The shy, timid little girl you were after I defeated you the last time we fought was non-existent this time around. You displayed a true fighting spirit worthy of a true Pokémon League champion! You have true skill and the potential to be an excellent Pokémon trainer! Thus, I hereby present you with… the Thunder Badge!" Surge held out a red circular badge with yellow spikes surrounding it, somewhat resembling a sun. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you," said Hina as she took the badge, returning to her usual modest self. She then looked over her transformed Ditto, who fell over onto its stomach and reverted back to its normal form. Hina pulled out a Poké Ball and withdrew Ditto.

"You and I should both head to the Pokémon Center," Lt. Surge suggested. "My Pokémon haven't taken a beating like that in quite a while, even against that Konan kid from the other day!"

_Konan,_ thought Hina. _I have to get to Saffron City quickly. She's probably already there. And also… Lee's match is tomorrow! I bet mom and dad are already on their way to Saffron to spend the night._ With that, Hina and Lt. Surge exited the gym together and headed north to the Pokémon Center.

Back in Fuchsia City, Isamu and Ayako were making final preparations for their brief stay in Saffron City. Isamu was packing a change of clothes for himself and for his wife in their backpacks, also packing toiletries, snacks, and the like. Lee was getting in some last minute training as he performed all his best kicks in the air. His bushy eyebrows squinted over his large, round pupils, a look of fierceness in his eyes like he had never shown before. Within just weeks of training under Ayako's instruction, he had grown far more determined and confident. Ayako, meanwhile, was at the Safari Zone Zoo making final arrangements for her absence. Most importantly, she was making sure that Cubone would be all right. For the first time in approximately two weeks, Cubone would be sleeping in its cage, much to its dismay.

"Cubone!" the baby Pokémon whined.

"I'm sorry Cubone," said Ayako, "but mommy's going away for a little while. It's too dangerous for me to bring you along though, so you'd better stay here. Please be good for all the other zoo employees. I promise I'll return soon."

"Cubone…" Cubone's eyes began to tear up. Ayako could see animosity in Cubone's eyes hidden underneath the sadness.

"You're still jealous of Lee, aren't you?" she asked. "For the past two weeks, I've devoted all my time not spent working to training Lee for the tournament. I'm sorry if you've begun to feel neglected. However, Lee's tournament is tomorrow, and once it's over, I won't be spending quite as much time with him. I promise when I return, I'll devote more time to you. Okay?"

Cubone nodded reluctantly, accepting that this was the best he could get. "Cubone bone."

Ayako hugged the young Pokémon, who hugged her back. "I love you, Cubone. I'll be home in a couple days. Be a good boy." Ayako placed a bottle of white Pokémon formula in Cubone's mouth, which Cubone drank to the last drop, after which the Ground Pokémon fell asleep. Ayako placed Cubone gently into its nest, where it lay soundly. Her heart sank at the thought of leaving Cubone behind, but she had to be there for Lee's tournament, and besides that, she also wanted to be with Isamu on his next Pokémon Rescue Force mission so that she could aide him against Team Rocket, something she had never been able to do on his previous missions. In addition to Isamu, Lee, and Cubone, Ayako also had Hina to worry about as she journeyed about through Kanto with only her Pokémon to protect her. There were many important people and Pokémon in Ayako's life and she wanted to do all that she could to support them. For now, the best she could do for Cubone was to leave him behind.

Once Ayako was finished watching Cubone sleep, she finally jerked her head away, slowly closed the cage door, and quietly locked it, then headed back to her house, where Isamu waited holding her backpack. Ayako took the backpack and placed it on her back. At that moment, Lee approached, looking fiercer and more determined than ever before. Ayako was impressed by his rapid growth over the past two weeks. He was not at all the weak, helpless, and despairing Pokémon that he had been when they first met. Without a word being spoken, Isamu pulled out a Poké Ball and released the giant bird inside.

"Pidgeoh!" Pidgeot cried as it emerged from its spherical containment device.

Isamu climbed onto Pidgeot's back and held onto the bird's neck. Ayako climbed on directly behind her husband and held onto his waist. Lee also climbed onto the bird and held onto Ayako from behind.

"To Saffron City!" Isamu commanded. With another caw, the bird began flapping its wings and took to the skies at incredible speed, its three passengers holding on tightly, as Pidgeot soared northbound.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The sun had set hours ago. Hina knew that dawn would soon arrive. She did not normally travel at night, but she wanted to reach Saffron City before the Fighting Pokémon Tournament began. Though her father had advised her to stay away from the dojo, she still wanted to see Lee fight. After all, she had seen him train so much that she did not want to miss out on seeing him fight an actual opponent for the first time ever. Besides that, Hina also wanted to catch up with Konan, even if that meant losing some sleep.

There were not many trainers left awake along Route 6, which led north from Vermilion City to Saffron City, so Hina's Pokémon were not able to get in a lot of training during this journey. Due to the lack of battles, however, Hina was making better time than she had on her journey from Fuchsia City to Vermilion City. At the same time, the lack of battles was making the journey seem longer as Hina was incredibly bored by the constant walking. She was also afraid of walking in the dark, but she knew that if danger was lurking anywhere around her, her Pokémon would protect her.

Much to Hina's relief, a sign came into view reading "Welcome to Saffron City!" Just past the sign, Hina could see the rising sun. Though Lee's tournament was in approximately six hours, Hina was too fatigued to stay awake that long. Hina immediately headed for a hotel, planning to set her alarm for 11:00, which would give her one hour to find the fighting dojo, watch Lee fight, and then head for the Saffron Gym.

Coincidentally, the hotel Hina checked into happened to be the same hotel in which her parents and Lee were staying. It was right about the same time that Hina checked into her room that Lee jumped out of bed and awoke his sensei and her husband, who were sleeping on the bed next to his.

"Ayako-sensei!" Lee shouted as he jumped onto Ayako and Isamu's bed and began shaking Ayako by the shoulders. "It is time to wake up! The tournament will begin soon! We must prepare!"

"Lee, stop!" Ayako begged, practically for her life. "It's only 6:00! The tournament is at noon!"

"We have our alarm clock set, Lee," said Isamu groggily. "I'd appreciate it if you'd stop strangling my wife."

Lee let go of Ayako, back-flipped off of the bed, and bowed. "I am so sorry. It is just that I am anxious."

"We all are," replied Isamu. "But please… just let us sleep for a couple more hours. Afterwards, we'll go to the hotel's continental breakfast, and then we'll head for the fighting dojo, all right?"

"If you can't sleep, why don't you get in some last minute training?" Ayako suggested.

"That is an excellent idea, sensei!" Lee replied with a thumbs up. "I shall start by doing pushups!"

"Just don't make any noise," said Isamu as he put his pillow over his head.

"Yes sir, Isamu-sensei." With that, Lee fell to the floor and began performing pushups rapidly while the two people he called sensei returned to sleep.

Meanwhile, in a dark lair, Kai caressed his Persian's head as he confronted several of his Rocket Grunts, Anoki standing front and center.

"The tournament is mere hours away," said Kai. "Does everyone understand the plan?"

"Sir, yes sir!" all the Rocket Grunts shouted simultaneously as they saluted.

"Good. Anoki, I leave the Hitmonlee in your hands. And you, Liore?" Kai turned to another Rocket Grunt, a brown-haired girl in a black Rocket suit. "What of the girl?"

"Hina, you mean?" the female Grunt replied. "She should be arriving in Saffron City at any time now if she hasn't already. Twice now on her Pokémon journey, I've given her advice and she's followed it. Because my advice has always been helpful to her, she'll probably continue to do whatever I tell her to, which will make it easy to lure her into my trap. Without me, she wouldn't have made it as far as she has, so capturing her will be an easy task."

Kai scratched Persian's head, much to the large cat's pleasure, as Kai grinned evilly. "According to one of our top spies, this Hitmonlee is very precious to Ayako. Once we have captured both her favorite Pokémon and her child, she and Isamu will come for them, rushing in recklessly as their emotions overpower their common sense. When they come for their loved ones, then they, too, will fall into my trap… and then I can finally exact my revenge!"

"And with them gone," Anoki added, "that's two less people standing between you and your goals. No one else in Pokémon Rescue Force is as determined to stop you as Isamu."

Kai grinned slyly as he continued to pet the purring cat beside him.

With less than an hour remaining before the tournament, Isamu, Ayako, and Lee visited a local park to have a quick lunch at one of the picnic tables. Lee watched in anticipation as Ayako set the berry basket on the table.

"Ayako-sensei," he said, "would it be all right for me to eat Cheri Berries one last time before the tournament? I have not had one in so long."

"Sorry, Lee," replied Ayako as she removed the cloth from the top of the basket to reveal more herbal medicines from Hoenn. "We can't change your diet right before the tournament. You'll have to wait until the tournament is over."

"I am so sick of these bitter vegetables," said Lee in disgust.

"Win or lose, I promise to treat you to Cheri Berries after the tournament is over." Ayako's promise did not seem to affect Lee at all as he was still unwilling to eat anymore herbs. "I'm not doing this just to torture you. These herbs will make you stronger. In fact, I bet if you ate a hundred of them, you'd be the strongest Pokémon in the world!"

Lee's expression changed from one of disappointment to one of determination. "Then it is settled, Ayako-sensei! I will eat one hundred Energy Roots before the tournament!" With that, Lee began stuffing roots in his mouth with little regard for how much he hated their taste.

"Not all at once, Lee!" shouted Ayako. _Man, he really took that remark seriously._

"Well, now that that's settled," said Isamu as he set down another picnic basket, "we can start eating as well!" Isamu removed the cloth from the top of the second basket, revealing several different kinds of berries, among them Cheri Berries. Isamu immediately grabbed a Cheri Berry and began eating in front of Lee.

"That is not fair!" Lee muffled while chewing on Energy Roots. "You cannot eat Cheri Berries in front of me!"

"Look away if you must," remarked Isamu as he finished off the Cheri Berry. Suddenly, Isamu's face began to turn red as beads of sweat ran down his head.

"Consider that payback!" Lee laughed as he swallowed a few Energy Roots and stuffed even more in his mouth.

"Need… water!" shouted Isamu as he ran to the nearest park water fountain.

Ayako chuckled mildly at her husband and Pokémon's shenanigans. As Lee exhausted himself in an effort to eat one hundred Energy Roots, Ayako reached into her pocket and pulled out a red sash with a metal plate in the center.

"Lee," she said as she held it out, "I'd like you to have this for good luck."

Lee swallowed the Energy Roots that were in his mouth and took the sash, looking at the leaf symbol that was carved in the center of the metal plate.

"What… is this?" he asked.

"It's a waistband," replied Ayako. "I made it just for you. I put a leaf on it to represent your Hidden Power of Grass."

"It is nice," Lee said with a smile. "Thank you. I will wear it always." Lee immediately wrapped the band around his waist and tied it at the back, the metal plate stationed in the front, where it gleamed in the sun. Lee then back-flipped away from his seat and struck a fighting pose. "Now then, I still have ninety more Energy Roots to go!"

Ayako both sighed and smiled at Lee's effort to stuff himself with Energy Roots as her husband returned from drinking nearly a quart of water. The couple continued to eat berries for several more minutes until the time finally came to head for the fighting dojo. As Isamu, Ayako, and Lee approached the dojo, they each grew nervous. Lee trembled with excitement and fear, but the two humans mainly trembled in fear, knowing that Team Rocket might be involved. Lee, however, mainly concerned himself with the matches. Still, despite all his training and dieting, he could not help but wonder if it was enough to win here. With no other way of finding out the answer except to try, Lee pressed forward as his two human senseis guided him inside, where they confirmed his registration with the fighting dojo staff.

Isamu looked around for any signs of Team Rocket, but it was difficult to pinpoint any specific faces within such a large and moving crowd. To his relief, he did not see Hina anywhere in sight, reassuring him that she did as she was told and stayed away from the dojo.

"Your attention, please," a voice came over the intercom. "May all contestants and their Pokémon please report to the ring."

"That's you," Isamu said to his wife. "I'll be watching from the audience. Good luck. You just focus on winning. I'll worry about Team Rocket."

"Thank you," replied Ayako. "Just leave the tournament itself to Lee and me."

"One more thing." Isamu shifted his gaze to Lee. "Nobody knows that Lee is… different. They'll immediately notice that he's a shiny Pokémon, but beyond that, we can pass him off as an ordinary Pokémon on one condition: he mustn't talk."

"Hitmon! Lee!" replied Lee with a salute, faking a grungy voice.

"Very good," said Isamu. "Only say the syllables of your name."

With that, Isamu searched for a seat while Ayako and Lee proceeded to the ring in the center of the dojo, where she met with nine other trainers and their Pokémon. Among these Pokémon were a Machoke, a Machamp, a Primeape, a Hitmonchan, a Heracross, a Poliwrath, a Hitmontop, a Medicham, and a Toxicroak. Isamu and Ayako both observed the nine trainers to see if one of them resembled Anoki, but none seemed to match his face as they remembered it.

_Maybe it was a different Anoki who registered for this tournament,_ thought Isamu. _Why would Anoki of Team Rocket register for a public tournament knowing that his name is infamous? I need to be prepared for the possibility that this is a trap._ Isamu looked around the dojo, observing the security guards stationed at every gap in the bleachers, at the doors, and around the ring. _Twenty-two guards are on duty. That seems a little excessive for a simple tournament. Half that number would usually be more than enough for an event like this. Of course, there's also the possibility that the police force was informed of Anoki's presence here. Still, if Anoki is here, the job would be better suited to the Pokémon Rescue Force, not to ordinary cops._

"This tournament will consist of nine rounds over three tiers," the announcer explained. "The first tier will consist of five rounds, followed by the winners of the last two rounds competing in a sub-tier so that we only have four contestants remaining. The second tier, or the semi-finals, will consist of two rounds, which will bring us to our final round in the third tier, with the winner being deemed Saffron City Fighting Pokémon Tournament Champion! And now, without further ado, our computer will randomly select our first two combatants!"

Above the ring hung a four-sided monitor from the ceiling, showing the audience on all four sides of the dojo the cycling of combatant names. After a few seconds, the monitor stopped on four names, two of trainers and two of their Pokémon.

"Our first match will be between Kagomi Suzuna's Medicham and Anoki Ishizuka's Hitmonchan! All other combatants, please have a seat on the sidelines. May our two competing trainers stand at opposing corners outside of the ring while their Pokémon step into the ring."

The two trainers did as they were told, Kagomi assuming the southwest corner with Anoki standing at the northeast corner. Medicham danced gracefully into the ring, leaping as if on the moon. Hitmonchan, by stark contrast, climbed into the ring under the ropes. It then began boxing the air in front of itself wildly with cries of "Hitmonchan!"

Kagomi smirked confidently. "How pathetic. Just your rotten luck to get picked to go against us."

Isamu observed the one called Anoki from the bleachers, trying to spot any resemblance he might have had to the Anoki he knew. _He's got the exact same name as Anoki of Team Rocket, first and last, but I can't really see what he looks like from here. I wonder if Ayako is able to see any kind of resemblance. He certainly has the girth of Anoki._

Ayako, too, was observing Anoki very closely from her much closer vantage point. _He's the same size as the Anoki we know, but that's it. Either that's a really good disguise or this is a completely different person who just happens to have the same first name, the same last name, and the same fat ass as Anoki of Team Rocket. For now, the best I can do is observe his battle for any suspicious behavior._

"When both trainers are ready," said the announcer, "you may begin!"

"This match is as good as over!" shouted Kagomi. "Medicham, use Confusion!"

"Medicham!" the yoga-performing Pokémon cried as it shot a blast of Psychic energy at Hitmonchan, giving the boxing Pokémon a massive headache.

"This seems like a one-sided fight, folks!" the announcer spoke excitedly. "Knowing that all of her opponents would be Fighting-type Pokémon, Kagomi had the clever idea of training a Psychic and Fighting-type Pokémon for this tournament, giving her an elemental advantage over her foes!"

"Type alone will not decide this match," Anoki finally spoke, his voice sinister enough to instill fear into the hearts of Isamu, Ayako, Lee, and even some of the other spectators. "In fact, type will have no say whatsoever in this match's outcome. Hitmonchan, use Agility now!"

"Hit! Mon! Chan!" the Pokémon said repeatedly as it darted around the ring rapidly, only being seen for brief flashes.

"That's not going to work!" Kagomi retorted. "Medicham can read its opponent's movements with its meditative skills! Medicham, use Mind Reader!"

Medicham took on a meditative state while floating a few feet above the ring floor. Though Medicham's eyes were now closed, Hitmonchan's movements were now clearer to it.

"Mega Punch now!" shouted Anoki.

Although Medicham could see the punch coming, it was not able to avoid it. Hitmonchan stopped directly in front of Medicham and boxed it in the jaw with its right hand, knocking it into the turnbuckle behind it.

"Being able to read your opponent's movements is certainly helpful," said Anoki smugly, "but a sixth sense will do you no good if your body is too slow to keep up."

"This next attack can't miss! Use a Psychic attack!" Kagomi shouted as she began to grow frustrated with her opponent.

"Medicham!" Medicham focused its mental energy and shot an even more powerful Psychic blast at Hitmonchan than it had done before.

"Vacuum Wave now!" Anoki ordered.

Before Medicham's attack could be completed, Hitmonchan began punching the air in front of it so rapidly that it created a vacuum effect, sucking Medicham towards it.

"Dodge the next attack with your Detect ability!" commanded a frantic Kagomi.

"Too late," Anoki said with a smirk. "Sky Uppercut!"

"Monchan!" the tunic-wearing Pokémon shouted as it uppercut Medicham at an incredible speed, sending the Psychic and Fighting Pokémon flying out of the ring, where it lay unconscious.

The announcer began the countdown. "One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six! Seven! Eight! Nine! Ten! Medicham is unable to battle! Hitmonchan is the winner!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as Kagomi stared at her fainted Pokémon in disbelief that it could have lost to an ordinary Fighting Pokémon. Anoki and Hitmonchan shared the same smug expression as Hitmonchan climbed out of the ring to make way for the next match. Isamu, Ayako, and Lee were all frightened by what they had just seen.

_His Hitmonchan's skills are amazing!_ thought Ayako. _That's certainly what I would expect of the Anoki we know._

_That was an amazing display of strength,_ Isamu pondered simultaneously. _Still, Hitmonchan used only official Pokémon attacks. I saw nothing out of the ordinary in that match other than sheer skill that, while incredible, could have been attained through rigorous training, not unlike what Lee has willingly endured. It's too soon to make any assumptions, but I'm keeping my eye on Anoki and his Hitmonchan a little longer._

_I am even more nervous than I was before!_ thought Lee. _That Hitmonchan is so strong and so fast! It won against an opponent that should have been stronger! Not only that, but it made it look easy! I do not know if I can…_

"That Hitmonchan was pretty cool," said Ayako, sensing Lee's anxiety, "but it's no match for my Hitmonlee!" Lee felt relieved that his sensei still believed in him.

"What an amazing and unexpected outcome, folks! Against all odds, Hitmonchan has defeated Medicham! We're only one match into the tournament and already things have gotten exciting! How will the next match top that one?"

The next three matches, by comparison, were not as interesting to the spectators. In the second round, Toxicroak managed to defeat Heracross by a simple type advantage, with a finishing move of Sludge Bomb doing the giant beetle in. The third round was won by Machamp as it delivered Dynamic Punches from all four of its fists into the face of its opponent Primeape. In the fourth round, Poliwrath took out Machoke with its Hydro Pump attack. This left only two possible combatants for the fifth round: Hitmontop and the shiny Hitmonlee known simply as Lee.

"This next round should prove to be very interesting, folks!" said the announcer. "Hitmontop, the hardest Tyrogue evolution to obtain, vs. an extremely rare shiny Hitmonlee, another Tyrogue evolution! Elusiveness of these specimens aside, which one is the stronger Pokémon? Let's find out!"

_This is it,_ thought Ayako. _Lee's big moment is here!_

_It is finally time to show the world what I am capable of!_ thought Lee as he flipped into the ring, landing in crouched pose, one hand on the floor in front of him. Across from him stood Hitmontop, standing on its legs as it often did while inactive, though Lee knew that it would likely spin on its head during the battle.

"That's a strange-looking Pokémon," Isamu overheard someone in the audience comment.

"What's wrong with its face?"

"Why does it have bushy eyebrows and such large, round eyes?"

_I was afraid Lee might stand out too much,_ thought Isamu. _Hopefully, that won't draw too much unwanted attention._

"When both trainers are ready," said the announcer, "you may begin!"

"Hitmontop, use Rolling Kick!" Hitmontop's trainer, a brown-haired man wearing a white headband, a white sleeveless shirt, and black athletic pants, shouted from outside the ring.

"Hitmontop!" the Pokémon replied as it flipped onto its head and began spinning rapidly like a top toward its opponent. Lee was unable to dodge such a rapid attack, but he quickly defended against Hitmontop's rapid spinning kicks by crossing his arms in front of his face.

"You can't win just by being on the defensive, Lee!" said Ayako. "Use Focus Energy!"

"Hitmon! Lee!" Lee faked his species' limited speech as he began building up energy for a counter attack.

"Now use Double Kick!"

"Mon! Lee! Mon! Lee!" Lee swung his right leg hard and kicked Hitmontop in the mid-section, then quickly landed on his right leg and outstretched his left leg, delivering a swift second kick immediately after the first, causing Hitmontop to spin into the rope, where it came to an abrupt stop. Though its focus was temporarily thrown off, Hitmontop was hardly injured by Lee's attack.

"This time, try a Triple Kick, Hitmontop!" Hitmontop's trainer ordered.

"Hitmon!" the whirling top shouted as it spun towards Lee again, kicking him in the face three times rapidly, this time making three direct hits.

"Follow up with Rapid Spin!"

Hitmontop began spinning even faster, bouncing around the ring and off the ropes, smacking into Lee repeatedly. Lee screamed in pain, overwhelmed by his opponent's strength.

"That Hitmonlee is taking a serious beating!" the announcer commented. "Could this match be over already?"

"No way!" shouted Ayako. "Lee, jump onto the turnbuckle now!"

"Hitmonlee!" the shiny Pokémon shouted as it jumped out of the ring and stood on the turnbuckle directly in front of its trainer.

"This is a contest of speed! Remember all your training! That Hitmontop is fast, but you're even faster! Now, use Jump Kick!"

"Hitmonlee!" Lee leapt from the turnbuckle, its leg outstretched to deliver a kick at Hitmontop. Hitmontop was easily able to dodge, but Lee was not finished. Stretching out his free leg several feet to the floor of the ring, Lee managed to hold himself in the air, at which time he spun around and stretched his kicking leg out toward Hitmontop, causing a direct hit with its face.

"Now finish it with a Rock Smash attack!" Ayako ordered.

Lee ran at Hitmontop, who was unable to react in time as Lee slugged Hitmontop in the stomach with a shattering punch capable of breaking boulders. Though Hitmonlees were not normally known for their punches, the attack was extremely lethal as Hitmontop fell onto its side, holding its stomach in agony. Again, the announcer began the countdown.

"… Eight! Nine! Ten! Hitmonlee is the winner! What an amazing turnaround!"

Lee struck a pose as he stood over his fallen opponent, outstretching his right arm, his fingers pointing upwards and his palm facing himself. "Hitmonlee!"

Though acting cool, Lee really wanted to jump up and down and cheer for his victory, but he remembered Isamu's advice to not blow his cover. _I will save the happy dance for later!_ he thought.

"Way to go, Hitmonlee!" Ayako cheered loudly as she climbed into the ring and hugged her Pokémon. _I knew Lee could do it!_

Hitmontop's trainer sighed as he withdrew his fallen Pokémon into its Poké Ball and walked away. Anoki stared at Lee curiously.

_Judging by outward appearance alone, that's definitely the same Pokémon we were about to have euthanized in Celadon City,_ he deduced. _However, he's gotten to be a lot stronger than we had ever imagined he could be, just as Kai's Fuchsia City spy reported. That isn't saying much though; he barely even won that last match. I doubt he'll survive the next fight, worn out as he is. Once he's down for the count, I can make my move._

_Don't celebrate just yet, Ayako,_ thought Isamu. _Lee has to fight another round before he can even rest._

"Before we can move on to the semi-final rounds," said the announcer, "we must even out the number of remaining Pokémon, so will the winners of the last two matches please come to the ring?"

Poliwrath and its trainer returned to the ring as Poliwrath climbed into the ring. Ayako slipped back out of the ring and returned to her post. Poliwrath slammed its balled up fists together as it glared menacingly at Lee.

_I do not even get to rest?_ Lee panted.

_I hope Lee can win two consecutive matches,_ thought Ayako. _Poliwrath at least had one round to recover a little of its stamina._

"When both trainers are ready… you may begin!"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Poliwrath slammed its fists together in preparation for the upcoming match. Its trainer was a girl in her twenties with long brown hair and green eyes wearing a blue tank top and a long white skirt. Lee caught his breath as Ayako handed him a small pouch of Energy Powder, which Lee quickly consumed in an effort to heal his stamina before the next battle. Tossing the empty packet aside, Lee took on his signature fighting pose, ready for the next battle. Poliwrath stared Lee down, also ready to fight.

"When both trainers are ready," said the announcer, "you may begin!"

"Hitmonlee, use Hi Jump Kick!" Ayako commanded.

"Hitmonlee!" the Pokémon shouted as it propelled itself forward through the air with one leg while outstretching the other toward its opponent.

"Slow it down with Bubblebeam, Poliwrath!" Botan countered.

"Poliwrath!" the Water and Fighting Pokémon growled as it shot a large, powerful, and fast stream of bubbles, far superior to the Bubble attack used by Hina's Squirtle, at Lee. Lee's attack was interrupted as he was knocked back into the turnbuckle by the bubbles, causing recoil damage in addition to the damage he suffered from the attack itself.

"Don't let a few little bubbles stop you!" said Ayako. "Use Bulk Up to boost your offensive and defensive capabilities!"

Lee tensed his muscles as he began to power up. His muscles rapidly began to expand, veins bulging all over his body.

"Now use Double Kick!"

Lee began spinning around on the toes of his right foot as he twirled his way toward Poliwrath, at which time he prepared to kick Poliwrath with his raised left foot.

"Poliwrath, Psychic attack!" ordered Botan.

Poliwrath's eyes began to glow blue as it unleashed a blast of mental energy at Lee, once again, knocking him backwards and into the turnbuckle.

"Lee!" Ayako gasped. _I can't keep having Lee rush in to attack so recklessly like that! If he takes another hit like that, he's done for!_

Lee moaned as he held his head in pain, but continued to stare down his opponent with determination. Lee reassumed his fighting pose as he braced himself for future Psychic attacks.

"That's right, keep staring head-on at Poliwrath!" Botan laughed. "Poliwrath, Hypnosis!"

"Poliwrath!" The swirl on Poliwrath's chest began to spin as it emitted an aura, also spinning, towards Lee. Lee's gaze was trapped by the swirl as he succumbed to the Hypnosis and began to drift into a deep slumber.

_Damn it!_ thought Ayako. _By the time Lee wakes up, he'll have already been defeated!_

To Ayako's surprise, however, before Lee fell asleep, he reached underneath his waistband and pulled out a packet of Heal Powder. As quickly as his drowsy body could move, Lee slipped the powder underneath his mask and into his mouth. Just as Lee was about to collapse face first, he was suddenly reenergized, his attention again focused on his opponent.

"The attack comes from its swirl, Hitmonlee!" Ayako shouted. "Focus your attention on your opponent's feet! That way, you won't get caught in its Hypnosis spell again and you can read its movements!"

"Monlee!" Lee nodded.

"That won't work if Poliwrath continues to attack from its current position!" replied Botan. "Poliwrath, hit it with another Psychic blast!"

"Poliwrath!" Poliwrath's eyes once again started glowing as it levitated Lee into the air, giving him a massive headache in the process. Lee screamed in pain, unable to move a muscle.

_Lee can't lose yet! He hasn't even made it to the semi-final rounds!_ Suddenly, a realization struck Ayako. She began to think back on Lee's training when he was trapped in Slowbro's Psychic attack. _That's it!_

"Hitmonlee! Use your Hidden Power move, now!"

_That is it! Hidden Power!_ Lee also realized.

_"It seems your Hidden Power type is Grass,"_ Lee recalled Ayako saying to him.

_"It could come in handy in the tournament should you fight a Poliwrath or some other Pokémon with a weakness to Grass,"_ Isamu had stated.

Lee, no longer cringing in pain, began to concentrate. Suddenly, to the shock of everyone present, all of the dojo's windows began to break as a strong gust of wind carrying several leaves blew into the dojo and towards the ring. The razor-sharp leaves pierced Poliwrath, injuring it and freeing Lee from its attack, at which time Lee followed up with a powerful kick.

"Leaf H—" Lee nearly shouted the name he had given to this technique when he suddenly realized that he was not supposed to speak. Realizing that everyone had heard him, he quickly followed up with, "Lee! Hitmonlee!"

_It's just a good thing his name is so close to the word "Leaf,"_ thought Isamu as he sighed in relief.

Poliwrath lay unconscious in the ring as the announcer counted the seconds. "… Eight! Nine! Ten! Poliwrath is unable to battle! Victory once again goes to Hitmonlee!"

"Monlee!" Lee cried as he back-flipped into the center of the ring and struck a fighting pose once again.

"Return, Poliwrath," Botan sighed as she withdrew her fallen Pokémon and walked away disappointedly.

Anoki stared at Lee in astonishment. _He's gotten to be a lot stronger than I had ever imagined possible. Even in the battle before that, he didn't seem all that tough. Was he just holding back up until now? For all I know, he may still be holding back. I should keep my guard up just in case._

"Already, six of our ten combatants have been eliminated!" the announcer recapped. "We now move on to the first of our two semi-final rounds: Hitmonchan vs. Toxicroak!"

_Finally, Lee can rest… for now,_ thought Ayako as she helped Lee out of the ring.

_This is our last chance to observe Anoki and his Hitmonchan before Lee has to fight him,_ Isamu perceived. _What else is he capable of?_

The poisonous frog from Sinnoh stood on the northeast corner of the ring while its boxing gloves-wearing opponent stood on the southwest corner.

"When both trainers are," the announcer said again, "the match may begin!"

Meanwhile, back at the hotel, a groggy Hina began to awaken, her eyes soon becoming fixated on the nearby alarm clock. To her shock, the clock read 1:38 pm. Confused, Hina leapt up and checked the clock's alarm.

_I could have sworn I set the clock to go off at 11!_ she thought. Upon closer examination, she came to an astonishing realization: _I set the alarm for 11 pm instead of 11 am! I hope the tournament is still going on and that Lee is still in it!_

Hina quickly changed from her pajamas into her daytime clothes, then strapped on her Poké Ball belt and backpack. Grabbing a rice ball to eat on the road, Hina ran out of the room and towards the front desk to check out of the hotel.

Back at the fighting dojo, Toxicroak lay face first on the ring floor as Hitmonchan triumphantly set its right foot on its fallen foe's back, holding one arm up victoriously. The bell rang as the announcer declared Hitmonchan's victory.

"Another stunning victory, folks!" the announcer went on. "We may very well be looking at this year's champion! Hitmonchan advances to the final round! Will its opponent be the muscular, four-armed Machamp or that shiny underdog who always seems to turn the tables in the face of defeat, Hitmonlee? We shall find out in this next round! Just please, try not to wreck up the dojo anymore, okay?"

"Just take the cost of the windows out of our prize money," Ayako remarked as she and Lee approached the ring again.

"You seem confident," Machamp's trainer, a black-haired, muscle-bound man in a light pink polo shirt and blue jeans, replied as he and his Pokémon approached the ring. "How do you know I'm not going to win that prize money?"

"It's not even you I'm worried about," Ayako laughed. "That Hitmonchan is pretty tough. I can't let my Hitmonlee break too much of a sweat when he's wiping the floor with your Machamp. He needs to save his energy for the next round."

With their taunting aside, both trainers assumed their corners of the ring as their Pokémon climbed into the ring.

"When both trainers are ready… you may begin!"

Machamp glared menacingly at Lee, who stared frighteningly at its bulging muscles. It was certainly bulkier than Lee, so in a contest of brute strength, Machamp would surely win. Lee and Ayako both knew that a frontal attack would not be wise. Machamp's trainer, however, saw no reason to hesitate.

"Machamp, use Dynamic Punch!"

"Machamp!" The Pokémon cried as it charged fist first at Lee.

"Dodge it, Lee!" Ayako shouted panickingly.

Lee stretched his legs, allowing him to elevate his body above Machamp's reach. As he attempted to flip over Machamp, Machamp grabbed each of Lee's legs with its lower two arms.

"Good one, Machamp! Now reel him in and use Dynamic Punch!"

Machamp did so, pulling Lee forward with his two upper arms. Once Lee had come face-to-face with Machamp, the muscle-bound Pokémon punched Lee with great force using his upper right fist. Lee spun uncontrollably toward the turnbuckle, his legs having retracted to their usual size. Feeling dizzy, Lee saw several illusions of Machamp in front of him, forcing him to retreat. However, he could not see straight and ended up crashing into the turnbuckle, allowing Machamp another chance to attack.

_That last attack confused Lee,_ thought Ayako. "Lee, run!"

Lee, in his daze, could not hear Ayako clearly, her voice being muffled by his headache. However, he did not need her advice to know that he needed to avoid Machamp as best he could. As his vision became clearer, he saw Machamp approaching him rapidly, causing him to swing his legs wildly in a desperate attempt to fend off his assailant. A few of Lee's kicks connected, causing minor damage to the bulky Pokémon, but once again, Machamp grabbed Lee by the legs.

"Now use Seismic Toss!" Machamp's trainer commanded.

Machamp spun Lee around rapidly and tossed him into the air. Lee's senses finally returned to him just as he was sent soaring upward. At that moment, Machamp, in spite of its girth, leapt into the air and came face-to-face with Lee once again.

"Finish it off with Submission!"

Machamp grabbed Lee with all four of its arms, holding its legs tightly, as it dove down toward the ring, with Lee's head aimed at the ground. Machamp spun rapidly through the air in an effort to slam Lee's head on the ground.

"Hitmonlee, use Reversal!" Ayako ordered.

"Hitmon! Lee!" Lee, stretching himself to his absolute thinnest, managed to slip free from Machamp's grip. He then somersaulted in the air repeatedly before finally delivering a powerful kick onto Machamp's head, slamming him onto the ring floor. Lee landed on his feet, with one hand on the floor in front of himself, two feet away from where Machamp had landed.

Once again, the announcer began the countdown. "One! Two! Three! Four!"

Lee walked towards the turnbuckle to receive an Energy Root from Ayako in preparation for the next match. As he chewed on the root, the announcer had begun to reach the end of the countdown.

"Eight! Nine!"

With Lee's victory secured, his back turned, and his guard down, Machamp leapt to his feet and charged at Lee, ready to throw all his weight down on the seemingly unsuspecting Pokémon. Swallowing what was left of the Energy Root, Lee turned around and delivered a swift Mega Kick with his left foot into Machamp's stomach, causing the giant Pokémon to come to a sudden halt as saliva flew from his mouth. Lee stepped back a few feet as Machamp fell to his knees and then to his face again. The announcer once again began the countdown, but this time, Machamp did not rise again.

"Machamp is unable to battle! Victory goes to Hitmonlee!"

The crowd erupted in cheer, with the exception of Isamu, who grew even tenser than before now that the final battle was here. Ayako and Lee also grew more nervous, while Anoki grew more fascinated. Machamp was withdrawn into its Poké Ball, at which time its trainer exited the arena.

"We are down to one final round, folks! It's the classic Fighting Pokémon rivalry of Hitmonchan vs. Hitmonlee! As most of you already know, our dojo's very own Karate Master Kiyo Koichi specializes in raising these two Pokémon and would use them in battle against Pokémon League hopefuls back when this dojo was an official Pokémon League gym! And now, our finalists, Anoki Ishizuka and Hitmonchan, Ayako Koizumi and Hitmonlee, please take your corners."

Lee returned to his corner of the ring, looking at Ayako with a nervous yet determined look, one that was shared by his trainer, as Anoki and Hitmonchan approached the ring. Hitmonchan entered the ring, showing no signs of fatigue nor any faltering of its confidence.

_This isn't fair,_ thought Ayako. _Once again, Lee is having to fight two consecutive matches. Not only that, but Hitmonchan has only fought two matches so far while Lee has fought three. I just hope that Energy Root will be enough to help Lee recover his stamina. Even at full power, though, can he defeat this Hitmonchan? It breezed its way through both of its matches like it was nothing. I wish I could say Lee had it as easy. I'm not sure Lee stands a chance._

_This is it, the final obstacle,_ thought Lee. _This is the moment when I prove that hard work beats out natural talent. My opponent is a genius if ever there was one. Please do not lose faith in me now, Ayako-sensei. I need your support now more than ever! Everything I have trained hard for has led me to this moment, when I take on the best of the best! If I win, then I will be the best of the best!_

Isamu gulped as beads of sweat ran down his entire reddened body. He did not normally worry this much during missions as he was used to the risks that were involved with his job. However, for the first time ever, his beloved wife was involved in the mission and could become a potential casualty. He also worried for Lee, for whom he had developed a great fondness over the last month. Isamu observed Anoki closely, while also constantly shifting his gaze around at all the other cops who were present in the dojo as something did not seem right about them to him.

"When both trainers are ready," the announcer stated, more slowly and dramatically than the previous eight times, "let the final match begin!"

"Comet Punch, now!" Anoki did not hesitate.

"Monchan!" Hitmonchan darted at Lee and began unleashing a flurry of punches, which Lee defended against by crossing his arms in front of his face.

"Hitmonlee, counter with Double Kick!" Ayako commanded.

"Hit!" Lee squatted, retracting his legs until they were almost invisible so as to duck under Hitmonchan's punches. "Mon!" Lee then kicked Hitmonchan in the jaw with his left foot, putting a stop to his Comet Punch attack. "Lee!" Finally, Lee sprung upwards upon returning his right leg to its normal length, at which time he performed a roundhouse kick to Hitmonchan's face with his right foot. Hitmonchan was momentarily stunned, but he stared Lee down angrily as he wiped away a small amount of blood from his bottom lip onto the cuff of his boxing glove.

_That's the first real injury Hitmonchan has suffered during this entire tournament,_ thought Anoki. _I have to give Ayako and her Hitmonlee props for that. However, this ends now!_

"Hitmonchan, use Fire Punch!"

"Hitmonchan!" the Pokémon shouted as its right glove ignited. Hitmonchan swung its flaming fist at Lee, hitting the green Pokémon in the chest.

"Now, with your other fist, use Ice Punch!" shouted Anoki.

Hitmonchan's left glove became encased in smoking dry ice as he punched Lee in the stomach again. Lee screamed in pain, the rapid and extreme change of temperature adding to the already devastating impact of the punches themselves.

"I was holding back up until now," said Anoki, "but playtime is over! Hitmonchan, hit him with a double Thunder Punch!"

"Hitmonchan!" This time, both of Hitmonchan's fists began to sizzle with electricity. Again, he jabbed Lee twice, this time holding his fists in place in order to electrocute Lee. Lee again screamed in pain before finally collapsing.

"Lee!" Ayako shouted in distress.

_No! Lee!_ thought Isamu.

Once again, the announcer began the countdown. Anoki scoffed as Hitmonchan grinned smugly at his fallen opponent. Halfway through the countdown, however, Lee began to push himself back up. As Lee rose to his feet, the countdown ceased. Ayako was delighted to see that Lee was all right; Isamu was intrigued by Lee's perseverance.

"Do not count me out yet," Lee muttered, forgetting his promise to not speak. However, the only ones who could hear him were Ayako, Anoki, and Hitmonchan.

"Monchan?" Hitmonchan was confused.

"So, your Pokémon can talk, can it?" asked Anoki, pretending to be surprised. "It's an oddball through and through. Are you sure that's not just a person in a poorly designed Hitmonlee costume? It certainly fights like one!"

Lee clenched his fists in anger. "Do not mock me!" he shouted, this time loud enough for others to hear. "Hidden Power!" Once again, a flurry of leaves swept through the windows and into the dojo, slashing away at Hitmonchan, who could only defend with his gloved fists. Lee rode the wind toward Hitmonchan and kicked him in the face with his left foot, shouting "Leaf Hurricane!"

_Damn it, Lee! _thought Isamu. _Your cover is blown now!_

Lee began kicking at Hitmonchan rapidly as Hitmonchan countered with another Comet Punch attack.

_They seem almost evenly matched now,_ thought Ayako. _Lee isn't holding back anymore. Anoki's taunting has put him into a blind rage. He isn't even trying to act like a regular Pokémon anymore!_

"Blaze Kick!" Lee shouted as his foot became engulfed in fire, thus singeing Hitmonchan's fists. Hitmonchan ended his flurry of punches and jumped back as Lee took on his signature fighting pose. "And now, I will show you a technique I acquired from watching my previous opponent… with my own little twist!"

In the blink of an eye, Lee was no longer standing in front of Hitmonchan, much to the confusion of both the Pokémon and his trainer. The confusion was ended abruptly by a loud smashing sound as Lee reappeared directly in front of and underneath Hitmonchan, at which time he kicked Hitmonchan in the jaw, sending him flying upward. Lee then propelled himself upward and rode in the air underneath the falling Hitmonchan, both of their backs facing toward the ground.

"Here is my own variation of the Seismic Toss!" Lee grabbed Hitmonchan and directed both of their heads toward the ring floor and they both spun rapidly as they careened downward with a loud crash. Lee stood back up, panting heavily, while Hitmonchan lay unconscious in the ring.

"Folks, I am as thoroughly confused as the rest of you," said the announcer. "But I digress. One! Two! Three!"

Before the announcer could continue the countdown however, Lee was suddenly trapped in a net. Ayako and Isamu both expected this to be the work of Team Rocket, but Anoki had not made any sudden movements of any sort. Upon closer examination, they saw that the net was launched from a bazooka-like instrument by one of the many cops who had filled the stadium.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Ayako demanded.

"There's no use in hiding it anymore," the cop replied sternly. "This Pokémon has been tampered with through illegal experimenting. By Kanto law, we are to take it into custody. We must also ask you to come along for questioning as we have reason to believe you may be affiliated with Team Rocket."

"This Pokémon was illegally experimented on, but not by me! He was rescued from Team Rocket by the Pokémon Rescue Force!"

"Nevertheless, we will have to take you both in. Please do not resist arrest."

"No! I will not allow anyone to imprison me ever again!" shouted Lee. "Hidden Power!" Another gust of leaves blew into the dojo through the broken windows, this time slicing open the net that held Lee prisoner.

"We'll use force if we have to!" another cop shouted as all the cops in the stadium surrounded the ring, each holding an expanded Poké Ball.

"Leave Lee alone!" Ayako growled as she tossed a Poké Ball of her own. "Ninetales, go!"

"Ninetales!" the nine-tailed fox who emerged cried as it stood protectively in front of Lee, growling at all the cops.

"You dare to threaten police officers?" the cop who had shot the net at Lee scolded. "That's hard time you're working toward, little missy!"

"Stop!" demanded Isamu as he finally stepped out of the bleachers. Holding up his leather wallet, Isamu flashed a golden badge at the officers. "I am Isamu Koizumi of Pokémon Rescue Force… a superior officer, in other words. This woman is my wife and this Hitmonlee is in my custody. By my orders, you are to let them both go. You can take this matter up with Yuki, the chief of Pokémon Rescue Force, if you are not satisfied."

"Very well," the officer replied. "We'll back down…" Isamu then noticed a devilish grin creep across the cop's face. "…when Hell freezes over!"

The cops began tossing off their police uniforms, revealing Team Rocket uniforms underneath. Even under their navy blue police caps, they wore black Rocket caps.

"Rocket Grunts!" shouted Isamu. "I knew you all seemed suspicious!" He then turned to Anoki. "And I take it you're in league with them as well, Anoki Ishizuka? I see you got a facelift. You should've gotten liposuction as well!"

"A facelift? Oh no! I don't have the money for that!" Anoki tugged at his face, removing what appeared to be a mask, revealing another face underneath. The apparent mask then began glowing, eventually reverting into a Ditto.

"Very clever," Isamu laughed. "You probably should've thought about changing your name as well though!"

"Don't you idiots get it?!" Anoki laughed maniacally. "This was all a trap and you fell for it hook, line, and sinker!" Anoki held out a Poké Ball and withdrew his fallen Hitmonchan, then switched it for another. "Don't think for a second that that Hitmonchan was the best Team Rocket has to offer! I choose you, Gallade!"

Anoki tossed his newly drawn Poké Ball, and in a flash of white light, a green and white Psychic and Fighting type Pokémon appeared. Though Gallade was already a rare breed, this particular specimen was even more unique in the appearance of its eyes: the pupils were a light lavender color and almost impossible to see from afar as they nearly blended in with the whites of the Pokémon's eyes.

Lee did not hesitate to attack. "Hi Jump Kick!" he shouted as he leapt at Gallade, his left foot outstretched. Gallade held out one hand and used his telekinetic abilities to hold Lee in place, then levitated him into the air. Squeezing his fist, he caused Lee to scream in pain. "Hidden Power!" Once again, leaves entered the arena and zeroed in on Lee's assailant. As the leaves approached, however, Gallade sliced each one with his free hand, causing the several leaf halves to glide harmlessly to the ground.

"You call that an attack?" the Pokémon spoke in a deep, taunting voice. "If so, that's a testament to how weak you really are."

"No… I am not… weak…" Lee muttered, still in great pain.

"Ninetales, Flamethrower attack, now!" Ayako shouted in anger and distress. The beige-colored fox shot a stream of fire at Gallade, but the flame merely engulfed an invisible sphere surrounding Gallade, having no effect on its intended target whatsoever.

"What are we all standing around here watching for?" a man in the audience asked. "I say we help those two!"

"Yeah!" the crowd cheered in agreement as they all began tossing Poké Balls, releasing several different Pokémon, ranging from Geodude and Spearow to Oddish and Venonat, among others. As the Pokémon darted towards the ring to attack Gallade, the Rocket Grunts blocked their path as they tossed Poké Balls of their own, revealing Pokémon such as Ekans, Koffing, Sandshrew, Zubat, and more. The many Pokémon in the stadium began clashing in their own battles as Gallade continued to torture Lee undisturbed.

"He's a Psychic Pokémon," said Ayako, "so he should be vulnerable to Bug-type attacks! Go, Jolteon!" Ayako tossed another Poké Ball, calling for her spiny yellow Pokémon. "Jolteon, use Pin Missile now!"

"Jolt!" the Electric Pokémon squealed as it began shooting spikes off of its fur towards Gallade, successfully penetrating its barrier and harming it.

"Gallade, get out of here with the Hitmonlee!" ordered Anoki. "I can take care of these two myself!"

"Very well," replied Gallade as he levitated both himself and Lee upwards, crashing through the roof and flying out of sight.

"Lee!" shouted Ayako.

"After them, Pidgeot!" said Isamu as he tossed a Poké Ball of his own, calling for his giant bird Pokémon, who immediately flew upwards through the hole Gallade had created in the roof and pursued Gallade. Isamu then shifted his glare to Anoki. "Why?! Why are you doing this?! What do you want with Lee?!"

"Lee, as you call him, is one of Team Rocket's Pokémon," Anoki replied. "He is our property and we cannot allow our property to fall into the hands of our enemies."

"But you were just going to execute him!" Ayako retorted. "What do you want with him now?! Do you just want to kill him for fun?!"

"Not that it isn't fun to kill useless Pokémon, but more importantly, 'Lee' holds secrets within his biology that Team Rocket would rather not be released to Pokémon Rescue Force or anyone else. For that reason, he must be eliminated."

"You scumbag! What the hell happened to you?!" Isamu growled. "Why are you in league with Kai in the first place?! You used to hate him long ago! Now that he's worse than ever, you suddenly want to help him in his cause?!"

-------------------------------------

A young Ayako and Isamu watched as their friend Kai battled against Anoki, a trainer they had encountered en route from Cerulean City to Vermilion City. Kai was using his newly evolved Charmeleon against Anoki's Poliwhirl.

"Water Gun now!" Anoki commanded. Poliwhirl launched a stream of water from the center of the swirl on its stomach at Charmeleon, knocking it out. "Pathetic!"

"Charmeleon, return!" Kai shouted angrily as he withdrew his fallen Pokémon. "I'm not done yet!" Kai then turned to Ayako. "Hey, cutie, can I borrow your Ivysaur?"

"You've already used six Pokémon, so the match is over," Ayako replied. "Besides, it wouldn't be fair if I loaned you one of my Pokémon. You're supposed to train your own."

"What's the matter, cutie? Do you not love me anymore, cutie? I still love you!" Kai whined, to the unspoken annoyance of his girlfriend.

"It's over. You lost the match," Isamu agreed with his future wife.

"I honestly don't know what you guys see in him," Anoki taunted laughing. "You'd probably both be better off without this emotional wreck who calls himself a Pokémon trainer. He's short-tempered and just plain stupid!"

"Take that back!" Ayako defended, not wanting to admit that it was all probably true.

"Who are you to judge?" asked Isamu. "You barely know him!"

"You two are just in denial. Someday, you'll see him for the intolerant, closed-minded son of a bitch that he really is." Anoki glanced at Kai, who was red and sweating with anger, unable to articulate a comeback or even think of a foul enough swear word to express his hatred.

-------------------------------------

"I owe Kai a great debt," Anoki explained. "We may not have been able to see eye to eye in the beginning, but during my darkest hour, he welcomed me into his home with open arms. One might say that I was occupying the void you left behind, Ayako."

-------------------------------------

A slightly older Anoki walked down the sidewalks of Pallet Town, wearing ragged, dirty clothing, a large beard covering most of his face. He pushed a grocery cart carrying his belongings with him until he finally reached his destination after more than a month of travelling: the house of Kai Okido. Taking a deep breath and sighing, Anoki knocked on the front door. Within seconds, Kai answered, astonished by the train wreck that Anoki had become.

"Anoki? What the hell happened to you? You look like a hobo!"

"Technically speaking, I am a hobo now. My mom lost everything at the Celadon Game Corner slots. She used our home as collateral and now we're homeless. She's become a beggar and an alcoholic, but not me. I left her behind and journeyed a long way to get here, knowing that you had a vacant room in your house."

"Yes, because a certain bitch who shall remain nameless left me for that backstabbing son of a jackal I once called my best friend. Very well, come on in. I'm tired of living alone."

"God bless you, Kai!"

Kai scoffed. "God? In a world where scumbags like Isamu and Ayako can live happily at the expense of a good person like me, how can you possibly believe in God? There is no divine justice. There's only the justice that you create yourself."

"Then establish that justice. Seek vengeance. Demand emotional and financial compensation. Make those two pay for what they've put you through."

"Way ahead of you there."

Kai stepped back, allowing Anoki into the house. Anoki was astonished to see Team Rocket apparel hanging from the walls.

"As you know, my father, the great Giovanni, was the leader of Team Rocket," Kai continued. "However, he has long since retired, leaving Team Rocket behind. There are still many former henchmen of his who have nowhere to go and nothing to do with their lives now. Team Rocket was their life. I will give them their old lives back! I will revive Team Rocket! And… I want you to be my right-hand man in reestablishing Team Rocket to its former glory! Will you help me?"

Anoki grinned. "Sure… think of it as rent for letting me stay here."

-------------------------------------

"So you're just Kai's pawn?!" Isamu growled. "That's just pitiful!"

"He has every right to be angry with you two!" Anoki retorted. "He left everything behind, gave up his entire life as he once knew it, to buy a nice home for himself and Ayako! He had visions of a long, happy marriage and was even more than happy to allow Isamu to live with him as well! And for no particular reason, you two just removed him from the picture to be with each other!"

"You know nothing of why I left him!" shouted Ayako. "It was just like you told us all those years ago: he _is_ short-tempered and we _have been_ better off without him! I just regret not being able to get his Pokémon away from him… he had become obsessed with using drug enhancements on Pokémon to make them stronger, which oftentimes resulted in sickness and death, and he didn't care. When I finally reported him to the authorities, he managed to evade the police and disappear without a trace."

"And that is why I eventually joined the Pokémon Rescue Force," said Isamu. "Perhaps most horrifying of all was the day his Charizard was to be a father. Kai had invited me over to watch his Ditto give birth to a baby Charmander… but because of all the steroids and other illegal drugs he had Ditto on in an effort to turn Charmander into a super Pokémon, Ditto died in the egg-laying process, and Charmander died shortly after its premature hatching. I could see the pain in Charizard's eyes. That was the day… Ayako and I severed all ties with Kai."

"Whatever. I just find it funny that you two would suddenly start going out, then get married and have a kid!" Anoki laughed. "Where the hell did that come from? I always thought you were in love with Reichi, Isamu!"

"I liked her at one time, sure," replied Isamu, growing uncomfortable, "but I secretly loved Ayako as well. In fact, I preferred Ayako, but she was taken, and Reichi just seemed like the next best thing."

"And you believe that, Ayako? Are you sure he's lying and it's not you who's second best? I mean, after all, Reichi did break Isamu's heart pretty badly. He obviously really loved her! It was just his own good luck that you happened to become available shortly thereafter!"

"Enough talk!" Ayako growled, not wanting Anoki's mind games to affect her, although they were. "Ninetales, Jolteon, attack!"

Both of Ayako's Pokémon leapt at Anoki, who quickly countered by tossing another Poké Ball.

"Go, Lucario!" he shouted as a blue anthropomorphic, wolf-like Pokémon emerged. "Use Aura Sphere!"

The silent Lucario began to glow with a blue aura as it launched a blue ball of energy at its two opponents, causing a small explosion that sent both Pokémon flying in opposite directions.

"Lucario a Fighting type from the Sinnoh region!" said Isamu as he prepared a Poké Ball. "Let's use our Psychic types! Exeggutor, I choose you!"

Ayako nodded as she withdrew her two fallen Pokémon and tossed a new Poké Ball. "Slowbro, go!"

The coconut tree and the pink beast with a Shellder on its tail appeared in a flash of white light, side by side, as they stared almost blankly at their intimidating opponent.

"Slowbro, Psychic attack now!"

"Exeggutor, use Confusion!"

Both Pokémon's eyes began to glow as they combined their powers to deal Lucario a devastating blow. However, Lucario managed to protect itself with a shield of aura, lessening the strength of Slowbro and Exeggutor's attacks.

"A Grass type and a Water type," Anoki observed. "No problem. Lucario! Use Blaze Kick on Exeggutor!"

Making hardly a grunt, Lucario leapt at Exeggutor, its right foot igniting in the process, as it kicked Exeggutor, lighting its palm tree-like leaves on fire in the process.

"Now use Thunder Punch on Slowbro!"

Next, Lucario's fist sizzled with electricity as he punched Slowbro from behind. The large, unintelligent Pokémon did not react for several seconds, but the blow was more than enough to take it down.

"He's also a Steel type," said Isamu as he and Ayako withdrew their Pokémon. "Go, Rapidash!" Isamu tossed the ball, revealing a white horse with a fiery mane, who neighed while the front half of its body leapt up.

"Sorry to run, but I've wasted too much time here," said Anoki as he withdrew Lucario. "Let's wrap things up here, Rockets!"

"You heard the boss!" a Rocket Grunt shouted. "Koffing, use Smokescreen now!"

"Koffing!" one of the floating purple toxic waste Pokémon cried as it released a cloud of black smoke from all of its pores, completely filling the stadium as the Rockets and their Pokémon began to escape.

"Damn it!" shouted Isamu. "I sent Pidgeot after Gallade, so she's not here to blow the smoke away!"

"Pidgey, use Whirlwind!" several trainers in the stadium shouted, one right after another, as all of their bird Pokémon began to flap their wings and blow the smoke away. Once the smoke was clear, there was no sign left of Anoki or the Rocket Grunts.

"Damn it! They're gone!" shouted Isamu as he climbed onto Rapidash's back, followed by Ayako. "Quickly, Rapidash! Out the door!"

The fiery horse neighed as it charged its way out the double doors and began galloping around the vicinity of the dojo as Isamu and Ayako looked around for any sign of Anoki, the Rocket Grunts, Gallade, Lee, or Pidgeot.

"Maybe you should call for backup," suggested Ayako.

"I'm doing that now," replied Isamu as he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Yuki.

"This is Yuki," the Pokémon Rescue Force chief answered. "Go ahead.

"Yuki, this is Isamu! I need backup in Saffron City! I repeat, I need backup in Saffron City!"

"So it's as we feared," Yuki sighed. "Very well. Backup is on its way."

"Lee… I hope he's all right…" said Ayako.

"Don't worry, Ayako," replied Isamu as he put his cell phone away. "I swear to you that we will find Lee. He'll be all right."

As Rapidash galloped through the streets of Saffron, Pidgeot soared the skies above the city. The frantic search for Lee had begun.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Hina ran down the streets of Saffron City in an effort to make up for lost time. She hoped that she had not missed the tournament entirely and that she could still watch Lee battle. Regardless, she also had to make it to Saffron Gym to compete for the Marsh Badge. Hopefully, Konan would not be too far ahead of her.

Once Hina finally arrived at the vicinity of the Fighting Dojo and Saffron Gym, which were next door to one another, she was shocked and horrified by what she saw: police tape surrounded the dojo as cops, both of the state and of Pokémon Rescue Force, held back rubberneckers. News vans and cameras surrounded the area as reporters from various stations asked the police chief questions of interest.

_So the worst has happened,_ Hina thought. _My dad told me to stay away from here. Maybe I should just continue to Saffron Gym and leave this to the Pokémon Rescue Force. I hope my parents and Lee are okay though._

As Lee began to regain consciousness, all he could see was darkness. Moaning in pain, Lee slowly opened his eyes, his vision blurry at first, but as it gradually became clearer, he saw that he was in a cage. The cage had mostly solid walls, but he could just barely see the room outside of the cage through the barred door. It was a dusty gray room that seemed fairly empty, although his view was limited. He did, however, manage to make out a staircase in front of him, with a door at the top of the steps. Though he did not know where he was, he knew that he had to somehow break out. Above all, he simply hated cages. Lee wrapped his fingers around the bars of the cage in an effort to bend them, but they were too thick. Had he been at full strength, he might have been able to manage the task, but he was still fatigued from the tournament and his capture.

It was then that Lee started to remember everything that had happened: the tournament, Anoki, Gallade. He wondered how long he had been unconscious and what had happened since Gallade levitated him out of the Saffron City Fighting Dojo. Due to the intense headache that Gallade's psychic abilities gave Lee, his memory faded shortly after that point, so he was unsure of the direction in which Gallade took him. Nevertheless, it was safe to assume that he was back in Team Rocket's custody.

Lee pondered his situation while slowly recuperating his strength. After a few moments, he decided to make an even greater effort to break free from his imprisonment. Focusing his strength into his left foot, Lee jumped forward with a shout of "Jump Kick!" as he aimed his foot at the bars of the cage. Before the attack could connect, however, Lee was suddenly blown back into the rear wall of the cage. At that moment, Gallade teleported in front of him, holding Lee against the wall with his psychic powers.

"It's futile, Hitmonlee," said Gallade. "You cannot escape your destiny."

"Who are you to decide my destiny?!" demanded Lee. "I am in control of my own destiny!"

"Do you actually believe that?" Gallade laughed mockingly. "Look at yourself! You tried to escape your destiny before only to end up back where you started: in a cage, waiting to be put to death by Team Rocket! No matter how hard you tried, you just couldn't escape that fate!"

"But I did escape it, and I will escape it again! You are strong, I admit, but I will find a way to beat you!"

"Do you really think you beat me? Look at yourself! You are completely powerless against me! You can't even move! Without even trying very hard, I have completely immobilized you, and yet with all your effort, you can't break free. That is what separates the elite from the rest. Team Rocket recognized your weakness early on, and because you were of no use to them, you were to be put to death."

"It is true that I was deemed a failed experiment. However, I have worked hard this past month and I have gotten a lot stronger! I was even able to win the Saffron City Fighting Pokémon Tournament! With enough effort, I could even overcome you!"

Gallade intensified the pressure of his telekinetic grip on Lee, once again causing him to yell in pain. "You really think so? Like you, I was genetically engineered from embryonic state almost until birth in an effort to create a super Pokémon. You were merely a prototype for later experiments such as myself. By birth, I am the superior Pokémon, and no amount of hard work or training can change that. You will never beat me!" Gallade finally dropped Lee to the ground and scoffed. "You've been delusional this whole time. This is probably the work of those idiotic humans you hang around."

"Do not insult my sensei or her husband! They are my friends!"

"Your friends, are they? Do you think they feel the same way about you that you do about them?"

"Of course they do!"

"Human and Pokémon can never be friends. Pokémon are merely tools that humans use to make their lives easier or more entertaining. We may as well be inanimate objects. Some Pokémon are fortunate enough to live freely in the wild, though even they are at risk of someday becoming servants of human beings."

"That is not true of all humans! Ayako-sensei and Isamu-sensei truly love their Pokémon! The same goes for their daughter Hina! I am sure there are other trainers in the world just like them!"

"They would have you believe that. However, it's all a façade. Such is the destiny of Pokémon such as you and I. Strong though I may be, I am also bound by my destiny. I am Anoki's servant, and he is Kai's henchman. I am an inferior link in the chain of destiny. You, however, are an even more inferior link; but don't worry, for soon, you will no longer have to carry that burden, once your miserable life has been ended."

"It may be your way to resign yourself to fate, but not mine! Anoki has truly brainwashed you well if you believe all that stuff about destiny."

"You think _I'm_ brainwashed? I am merely accepting reality as it is! You're the one who's been brainwashed if you actually think that those humans truly care about you! Ayako entered you in that tournament for her own self-interest, to achieve fame and glory!"

"No! You are wrong! Ayako-sensei is not like that!"

"Allow me to disillusion you! Ayako works at a zoo, where Pokémon are trapped in cages and shown off to the public for amusement and so the zookeepers can make a quick buck! Meanwhile, her daughter Hina is out capturing Pokémon inside of small capsules to use in gym battles! Why? For mere sport! But Isamu is the biggest phony of all! He claims he cares about Pokémon and that he wishes to rescue them, but does he ever truly risk his life in the line of duty? No! He risks his Pokémon's lives! He captures Team Rocket's genetically altered super Pokémon, disposes of the ones that are of no use to him, and the rest… well, just look at yourself. You were used by his wife to compete in a Pokémon tournament. Don't forget that in their youth, Isamu and Ayako were also adamant Pokémon trainers, competing for glory, and even to this day, they keep Pokémon inside of either cages or Poké Balls. Pokémon are still commodities to them. At the core, they are no different from Team Rocket!"

"It is… not true…" Lee hid his face in his knees, failing to hold back his tears.

Hina approached the front door of the Saffron City Pokémon Gym, but as she reached for the handle, she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Hina!" Hina turned to see Makoto once again.

"Oh. Hello," replied Hina shyly.

"I take it you just arrived here?"

Hina nodded. "That's right."

"I just won my Soul Badge!" Makoto boasted as she proudly flashed the circular golden badge in Hina's face. "Let me warn you, though, that Sabrina is one of the strongest gym leaders I've ever had to face! She doesn't mess around!"

"Is she really that strong?" Hina grew worried, having already been made uneasy by what she saw at the dojo.

"She's certainly stronger than the last two gym leaders you faced! However, she's not unbeatable. She uses Psychic Pokémon, which have three weaknesses: Ghost, Bug, and Dark."

"Do you know where I can capture one of those types of Pokémon?"

Makoto nodded. "Head east along Route 8 to Lavender Town. The Pokémon Tower there is said to be haunted by Ghost Pokémon."

"H-haunted?!"

"Yeah. If you're brave enough to venture into there, you can capture a Ghost Pokémon to use against Sabrina and her Psychic Pokémon! Without one, you probably wouldn't stand a chance against her."

Hina gulped. "O-okay. If you say so. I'll head for Lavender Town now." Hina began to walk away, then suddenly stopped and turned back to Makoto. "Makoto?"

"Yes?" asked Makoto, her back turned as she, too, had been preparing to walk away.

"Thank you for all your help. I probably couldn't have beaten the last two gym leaders if it wasn't for your advice. You may've saved me once again just now."

"You're quite welcome."

Unbeknownst to Hina, Makoto wore a psychotic grin as the two walked away in opposite directions. Once Hina was almost out of sight, Makoto stopped in her tracks and reversed direction, following Hina to Route 8.

The sun was setting on Saffron City as Rapidash galloped back to the fighting dojo, Isamu and Ayako riding on horseback. At the entrance, they rendezvoused with Yuki, Kinnosuke, and other members of the Pokémon Rescue Force.

"I didn't expect to see you here," Isamu said to his boss as he and his wife disembarked the fiery horse.

"It seems there was quite a commotion caused here," replied Yuki. "The news media pretty much demanded my presence here. Getting down to business, however, what do you have to report?"

"I entered the tournament as you commanded," Isamu explained. "Well, actually, Ayako entered the tournament."

"Ayako?"

"Yeah… before you assigned this mission, Ayako was already planning to enter Lee into the tournament."

"Lee? Is that what you call your Hitmonlee?"

"That's right. Relatives of entrants, including spouses, are forbidden from entering as well, so only one of us could enter the contest. Ayako and Lee really wanted to enter, so I—"

"You let your wife perform the mission for you." Yuki shook his head in disapproval. "Your wife is not a member of Pokémon Rescue Force. You put her life in jeopardy."

"I would never jeopardize Ayako's safety!" Isamu yelled. "I was there the entire time, watching carefully Anoki's every move!"

"That's another thing that bothers me," Kinnosuke interrupted. "Why would Anoki enter the tournament by his real name, knowing that he's a wanted fugitive?"

"Exactly. It was all a trap," said Yuki. "However, this trap wasn't intended for you, Isamu. It was intended for Lee."

Ayako gasped. "For Lee?"

Yuki nodded as he held up a tournament flyer. "Flyers such as this one were found posted all over the Safari Zone Zoo."

"That's the same flyer I found at work one day and showed to Lee," said Ayako.

"These are not official Saffron City Fighting Pokémon Tournament flyers. There were posted only at the zoo."

"You mean…?"

"That's right. You were lured into a trap. Someone in Team Rocket must have posted the flyers, knowing that you would be tempted to enter Lee into the tournament." Yuki let out a disappointed sigh. "I am not entirely blameless, however. I, too, played into Team Rocket's trap by sending Isamu on this mission. Anoki could have used an alias if he had wanted to. However, by using his real name, he knew that I would be contacted and that I would probably send Isamu, the nearest residing member of Pokémon Rescue Force, to investigate. It was quite a complex plan and we all fell for it."

"But why Lee?" Ayako demanded. "It doesn't make any sense! Why didn't Kai just take Isamu and me?!"

"Kai hates the two of you more than words can ever begin to explain," replied Kinnosuke. "He must know how much Lee means to the two of you. Kai is playing a game of psychological warfare. He wants you to feel the same emotional pain he claims to feel."

"There are still some things I don't understand though," said Isamu. "Mainly, how does Kai know what Lee means to Ayako? Lee was with us for a month, and during that time, we never encountered anyone in Team Rocket. Before the tournament, no one in Team Rocket knew about the bond that Ayako and Lee had developed."

"That is a matter of great concern," replied Yuki. "Somehow, Team Rocket knew. Someone has been spying on you."

Ayako clenched her fists in anger, as if knowing who that someone probably was. Isamu felt the animosity radiating from his wife and knew exactly what she was thinking. However, he did not want to jump to conclusions, or rather, he did not want to believe that it was possible. Before anymore words could be exchanged, the familiar caw of Pidgeot filled everyone's ears as the giant bird Pokémon landed in front of Isamu.

"Any sign of Lee, Gallade, or Anoki?" asked Isamu. Pidgeot responded with a shake of her head. "Any sign of Team Rocket at all? Even a Rocket Grunt?" Again, Pidgeot shook her head. "Thanks anyway, Pidgeot."

"You've done all you can do for now," said Yuki. "The best you can do now is get some rest. Kinnosuke, here, has volunteered to relieve you in your search for Lee."

"Thank you, Kinnosuke. I owe you for this one."

Kinnosuke smiled lightly. "No problem. You guys are two of my best friends, and when I heard what happened, I felt really bad and had to help in any way I could. For right now, you just go home and rest."

"No," Ayako protested. "I'm not going home without Lee. Isamu can go if he wants to, but I'm going to keep searching until we find Lee."

"You need to rest too, Ayako," said Isamu. "We'll come back later to search for Lee. For right now, we need to head home and get some rest. You have work tomorrow, remember?"

"To hell with work!" shouted Ayako. "I don't care about my job! I want Lee back!"

"I promise you we'll find Lee. Right now, though, there are other Pokémon who need you. Don't forget about Cubone!"

Ayako gasped. "Cubone! All right… let's head home…"

Isamu nodded as he withdrew Rapidash into her Poké Ball and climbed onto Pidgeot's back. Before Ayako could climb aboard, however, a male voice called out to her.

"Ma'am! You're Ayako Koizumi, aren't you?" he asked as he approached carrying a large, golden trophy. The man had spiky black hair and wore a white karate gi with a black belt.

"I am," Ayako replied.

"My name is Kiyo Koichi," the man continued. "I own the fighting dojo and hosted the tournament. I'm very sorry about your Pokémon's capture and I hope that he is found quickly and that his captors are brought to justice."

"Thank you." The words of a stranger meant little to Ayako, but she felt honored to have received the attention of someone famous, even if he was likely only confronting her for the sake of his image.

"Though your Hitmonlee—Lee, I believe you called him—may not be here with you right now, he is still the champion of this tournament. As such, I would like to present you with the Saffron City Fighting Pokémon Tournament first place trophy."

Ayako observed the trophy, which depicted a Hitmonlee kicking at a Hitmonchan, who in return was delivering a punch. Beneath the miniature golden statues, the trophy read "1st Place, Fighting Pokémon Tournament, Saffron City, Kanto."

Smiling faintly, Ayako took the trophy. "Thank you very much."

Without another word, Ayako boarded Pidgeot and the bird took into flight while the press's cameras recorded the event until Pidgeot was completely out of sight.

Gallade watched coldly as Lee continued to bawl into his knees. Before another word was spoken, Anoki entered the room from the stairs in front of Lee's cage, at which time Gallade teleported outside of the cage.

"I've just received word from Liore that the little one is headed this way," Anoki told his Pokémon. "Bring Liore here and we'll leave the rest to her."

"At once," Gallade replied as he teleported out of the room.

Anoki laughed smugly as he stared through the bars of Lee's cage at the helplessly sobbing Pokémon. "What's the matter, 'Lee?' Do you miss Ayako?"

"Of course I do!" Lee shouted, finally looking up, tears streaming from each of his large, round eyes.

"Well, that's too bad because she doesn't miss you a bit."

"Liar! I refuse to believe a word you say!"

"Don't take my word for it! See for yourself!"

Anoki turned on a nearby television and moved it in front of Lee's cage, allowing him to just barely make out the images. It was turned to the news, where a caption read "Fighting Tournament Champion Ayako Takes Home Winner's Trophy." Lee watched in disbelief at the images onscreen as Ayako, holding the glorious golden trophy, climbed onto Pidgeot's back behind Isamu, at which time the bird immediately departed Saffron City.

"She and Isamu are going home," said Anoki. "They don't care that you're gone. You helped Ayako to win the tournament. That's all that matters to them. Now that you've earned Ayako great fame and admiration across the globe, she has no further use for you."

"It is true then…" Lee fell to his hands and knees. "Everything that Gallade said to me was true. Humans do not care about their Pokémon. We are just tools to them. Ayako… Isamu… Hina… they are no different from you, Anoki, or from Kai or anyone else in Team Rocket."

"Reality hurts, doesn't it? Don't worry because you'll be out of your misery soon enough." With that, Anoki shut off the television and exited the room the same way he entered.

_I have been living a lie,_ Lee thought as he returned to sulking.

Night had fallen on the country of Kanto by the time Pidgeot arrived back in Fuchsia City. Once the two human passengers had disembarked, Isamu withdrew Pidgeot into its Poké Ball, at which time Ayako handed him the trophy.

"You can display this somewhere in our house, I guess," she said. "It's not really my trophy anyway. It's Lee's."

"I'm really sorry, Ayako," Isamu replied. "I promise you that we'll find Lee."

Isamu set the trophy down in front of the door of his house and hugged his wife, who cried into his shoulder. The moment was cut short, however, as Reichi approached the pair.

"I heard about what happened on the news," she said as she looked sorrowfully at the ground. "I'm very sorry, Ayako. I know this must be tough for you. You and Lee were very close."

Isamu and Ayako's embrace ended as Ayako stared at her feet, not wanting to look Reichi in the eyes, or worse, at her oversized breasts or her bare legs. Reichi then grabbed Ayako and hugged her, much to her discomfort, although she did prefer for Reichi to hug her than Isamu. "Thank you," Ayako finally said insincerely.

"You're welcome," Reichi replied as she released the hug. "I'm sure Isamu will find Lee for you! He's part of the Pokémon Rescue Force, after all!"

Isamu nodded. "Thank you, Reichi. I think we both needed that."

"I'm going to check on Cubone now," said Ayako. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight."

"I understand," replied Isamu. "I'm going to attempt to get some sleep. Good night."

Isamu and Ayako shared a quick kiss before Isamu picked up the trophy and headed inside, politely nodding at Reichi as he knew better at this point than to make any sort of physical contact with her in front of Ayako. Reichi walked off towards her house while Ayako headed to the Safari Zone Zoo. When she arrived at Cubone's cage, the young Pokémon sat with his back turned to Ayako, looking up at the moon. Ayako was surprised to see Cubone awake at all. As Ayako opened the cage door, Cubone barely glanced at her, then glanced away bitterly.

"Cubone…" the Pokémon muttered.

"I'm sorry for leaving you, Cubone," said Ayako as she picked up the young Pokémon and held him close. "You don't have to worry about Lee anymore though. We'll never see him again."

"Bone?" Cubone did not understand exactly what his surrogate mother meant, but he knew that something bad must have happened to Lee. Though he was jealous of Lee, he would never have wished ill upon another Pokémon.

"You're all I have now, Cubone." Tears began to stream down Ayako's face as she gripped Cubone tightly, Cubone hugging her just as firmly in return. "Hina is growing up. She's journeying alone and taking care of herself. I failed to protect Lee. And Isamu… Isamu doesn't need me. He never needed me. I'm the one who needs him. I'm sure he'd be happier with Reichi. Like Anoki said, she's the girl he was really after."

"Cubone…" the Pokémon whispered sympathetically.

Ayako once again began to grow angry at the thought of Reichi, but this time, it was not at Reichi's superiority but rather at her own inferiority. She should have saved Lee, she thought. She really wanted to believe that Reichi was the spy Yuki had spoken of earlier in the day, but she had no evidence to fall back on. Ayako wondered if her mind was merely fabricating the idea that Reichi was a Team Rocket spy because she wanted to think that Reichi was something other than a perfect angel with a nice body and the confidence to show it off all the time.

Nevertheless, Ayako spent the night recounting the moments when Reichi and Lee were at the same place at the same time. One moment in particular that stood out to her was when Hina and Konan had their first Pokémon battle on Route 19. As she recalled, Lee had forgotten to refrain from speaking English in the presence of others that day. Ayako had found it peculiar that neither Reichi nor Konan had reacted to hearing Lee speak English, and she was almost certain that they would have heard him as he had spoken quite a few sentences that day.

_It has to be her,_ thought Ayako. _I just don't think Isamu will believe me if I tell him. He thinks Reichi is his friend. He… loves Reichi… no matter how she treats him…_

Isamu lay awake in his room, once again attempting to sleep alone in a bed made for two. It was impossible for him to sleep without Ayako by his side. All Isamu could do was once again stare at the starlit sky outside his window and ponder.

_I've failed Ayako. I've failed Lee as well. Hell, I've failed at my job in general!_

Isamu focused his gaze on the brightest star in the sky. In a sudden fit of fury, he closed the blinds and rolled over in his bed, facing away from the window.

_Wishing upon a star… bull shit! I can't believe I almost bought into that crap. I've never been anything more than a failure. No giant ball of plasma can change that. I just wanted to be there for Ayako, but she'd probably have been better off had she never known me._

It was a successful day for Team Rocket. Spirits were broken and there was little hope for a brighter future. All hope seemed lost as Isamu, Ayako, and Lee dwelled in pits of despair. Hina, however, set aside all anxieties and pressed forward in her journey as she arrived at the outskirts of Lavender Town.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

It was the middle of the night when Hina arrived in Lavender Town. As much as she did not want to go to the haunted Pokémon Tower at night, she knew she could not lose anymore time. It had been a while since she had seen Konan, who had probably already won a Marsh Badge and possibly other badges as well. This was far from the only anxiety plaguing Hina, though, as she continued to worry about her parents and Lee, especially after what she had seen in Saffron City.

_First I'll capture a Gastly at the Pokémon Tower,_ thought Hina, _then I'll go to a Pokémon Center, call my parents to see if everything's okay, and get a hotel for the night. If my parents don't respond, I'll have to contact the Pokémon Rescue Force._

Planning to make her run through the Pokémon Tower brief, Hina set down her backpack and pulled out a binocular-like device with the words "Silph Scope" printed on the top. Afterwards, she made her way toward the skyscraper in the northeastern corner of the town, which stood out among all the shorter buildings in the small city. The closer Hina got to the tower, the tenser she grew. The tower looked especially uninviting in the dark. Nevertheless, Hina knew what she had to do, and so without a second thought, she rushed in through the double doors.

Once inside, the tower no longer seemed unpleasant. The first floor consisted of a single room with several tombstones memorializing trainers' Pokémon who had passed away. Though somewhat depressing at first, the room had a certain charm to it once Hina began to observe the gifts, pictures, and flowers that decorated the tombs. These Pokémon were certainly loved and Hina wanted her own Pokémon to know that same kind of love.

Hina found it strange that the reception desk was unoccupied. If the tower was closed for the night, why would the front door have been unlocked? Nevertheless, Hina looked around the room through her Silph Scope for any signs of the paranormal, but she saw nothing. Removing the Silph Scope from her eyes, Hina saw a staircase leading up and a door leading to a downstairs staircase. She was not sure which way to go to find Ghost Pokémon, so she decided to try the basement first. Growing even more timid as time passed, wishing to get the initial scare of seeing a ghost out of the way, Hina slowly made her way through the door to the downward staircase. The stairs did not go down very far as Hina immediately came upon a large metal cage. As Hina gazed through the bars on the front of the cage, she was shocked by what she found.

"Lee!" she shouted, catching the attention of the green Fighting-type Pokémon, who had been sulking in the corner of the cage until he heard the familiar, friendly voice.

"Hina?" he said confused. "How did you find me here?"

"I just kind of stumbled upon you by accident. How did you get here?"

"I was captured by Team Rocket. Is this their lair?"

"Not as far as I know. This is the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town. Although now that I think about it, Team Rocket has been known to operate here. This is where my father rescued Cubone from being put to death, just like he did for you."

"He might as well have just left me to die back then. He was only prolonging the inevitable."

"You're not going to die here, Lee! I'm going to break you out, just like my father did!" With that, Hina pulled out a Poké Ball.

"You say that you are going to free me, but you are no different than Team Rocket. You plan to put me in that Poké Ball, don't you? It does not matter as I am a prisoner either way."

"You don't have to go in a Poké Ball if you don't want to," replied Hina as she tossed the Poké Ball, thus releasing Dugtrio. "I'm just going to break you out and then you're free to do whatever you want. Dugtrio, dig a hole for Lee to get out of his cage!"

"Trio trio trio!" the three-headed mole responded as it burrowed underground and created a hole in Lee's cage. Lee stared reluctantly at the hole, then at Hina, who seemed sincere enough about freeing him, but Lee still did not fully trust her. Nevertheless, Lee sighed deeply, stepped into the hole, and made his way to the other side.

"And that's it. You're free to leave if you want," said Hina as she withdrew Dugtrio and walked up the stairs. "The exit is upstairs. I won't be following you out though. I'm going to the upper floors."

Lee did not say a word. He just followed Hina up the stairs, unsure of whether or not he could trust her. She seemed nice enough, but she still kept Pokémon inside of Poké Balls to call at her convenience. Perhaps she was just naïve and was only doing what she was raised to believe was right. After all, she was only a child.

"I'll let my mom know that you're okay," Hina continued, interrupting Lee's train of thought. "I'm sure she'll understand if you choose not to return home."

Lee slowly walked towards the door. As he placed his hand on the handle, he sighed and looked back at Hina, who was making her way toward the upward staircase. He then darted across the room and caught up with Hina, following her up the stairs. Upon arriving on the second floor, Hina looked at Lee in confusion.

"Did you change your mind?"

"I am not sure what to believe. A part of me still wants to believe that you and your parents are good people. The only time in my life I was ever happy was when I was training with your mom. Therefore, all I ask is that you take me back to Ayako-sensei. I wish to give her one last chance. However, I still do not approve of the way you all imprison your Pokémon and force them to battle and do chores for you. I may still leave even once I am reunited with Ayako-sensei."

"What happened at the tournament anyway, Lee? Are my parents okay?"

"Last time I saw them, they were. I do not know how much time has transpired since then, but I believe it was several hours ago at least."

"On a lighter note, did you win the tournament?"

"I guess you could say that. However, there was this one Pokémon who was not a part of the tournament whom I could not defeat or even lay a finger on."

"Was it one of Team Rocket's Pokémon?"

"Yes. In spite of all my training, I was completely powerless against him. He is the one who brought me here."

"We should probably get out of here before he returns. But first, I have to capture a certain kind of Pokémon that I can only find here."

Lee clenched his fists. "That is typical. I refuse to assist you in any way."

"I'm not asking for your help. Besides, I don't think you could help me here even if you wanted to. As a Fighting type, you would be at a major disadvantage."

"Why is that?"

"I'm searching for a Ghost Pokémon to use against Sabrina's Psychic Pokémon."

Lee's body stiffened as his knees began to tremble. "G-g-ghost? Did you just say that you are after a Ghost Pokémon?"

"That's right," Hina nodded as she began looking around the room through her Silph Scope. "This tower is haunted. Ghost Pokémon tend to stay invisible, though, so I can't see them without this device, the Silph Scope."

"You mean I cannot… see them?"

"You should be able to, actually," replied Hina as she temporarily removed the Silph Scope from her face and looked at Lee. "I believe Hitmonlees have a move called Foresight or something like that, which enables them to see Ghost Pokémon."

"Of course! Foresight!" Lee began to focus his energy into his eyes. Not a lot seemed to have changed for Lee until he looked in the distance behind Hina and saw a purple ghost with two dismembered hands floating towards Hina. "Ghost!" Lee shouted in panic as he pointed behind Hina. Hina quickly turned around and put on her Silph Scope as Haunted floated upward through the ceiling.

"I don't see a ghost," she said as she scouted the entire room with her Silph Scope.

"Well I did!" Lee replied, trembling more than before. "It is gone now though!"

"Which way did it go?"

Lee pointed his trembling hand upward.

"Through the ceiling? Let's follow it then!" With that, Hina ran for the upward staircase on the other end of the room.

"You can follow it if you want! I am leaving right now!"

"Are you afraid of ghosts, Lee?" Hina giggled.

Lee blushed. "O-of course not! I just… do not wish to watch as you enslave yet another innocent Pokémon! I will be waiting outside!"

"Whatever you say," Hina replied sarcastically. "Just watch out for Team Rocket. You never know when they'll return."

With that, Hina headed up the stairs to the third floor. As Lee turned around to head back down the previous flight of stairs, he came face-to-face with the Ghost Pokémon from before, who was blocking his path. Lee stopped and stared at the ghost in a stunned silence. After a few seconds, the ghost made a silly face, its tongue hanging out its mouth as its eyes bulging outward in a cartoon fashion. Lee screamed as he ran towards the other stairwell after Hina.

"Hina! He is down here now!"

"Haunt haunt haunt haunt!" the ghost laughed as it watched Lee scurry up the stairs.

"Lee? What's the matter?" Hina asked, once again removing the Silph Scope from her face and looking at the cowardly Fighting Pokémon as he ran up the stairs behind her.

"The Ghost Pokémon from before… he is… downstairs again!"

"Are you sure?" asked Hina. "I didn't see him anywhere on this floor. I didn't know Ghost Pokémon were so elusive."

As Hina spoke, Lee watched in terror as the ghost rose from the floor behind Hina and slowly approached her, a look of malice in his face as he raised his hands up to grab her.

"Look out!" Lee shouted as he pushed Hina out of the way and swung several kicks at the Ghost Pokémon, each of which went through their target, having no effect whatsoever.

"Oww…" Hina muttered as she stood back up and looked through her Silph Scope at the seemingly empty space in front of Lee that he had been kicking at. At last, she spotted the Ghost Pokémon Lee was talking about. Hina's heart jumped in fright, which she tried to cover with excitement. "It's a Haunter! I was just hoping for a Gastly, but if I can capture its evolved form, that would be even better!"

"Haunter!" the Pokémon turned visible, at which point Hina was able to put away the Silph Scope. She then pulled out one of her Poké Balls.

"It's no use, Lee! Your attacks won't work on him! Let one of my Pokémon handle this!"

Lee growled in frustration. _It is just as Gallade said. No matter how hard I try, there are certain Pokémon I just cannot beat. Psychic Pokémon are among them, and so are Ghost Pokémon._

Haunter began drooling senselessly as he floated towards Lee. Lee became paralyzed in fear as Haunter licked Lee affectionately, much to Hina's surprise.

"I don't know if that was an attack or a display of affection," she said, her arm trembling as she hesitated to throw her Poké Ball. "Either way, it's a good thing you have the Limber ability or else you'd be paralyzed now."

Despite Hina's reassuring words, Lee screamed loudly as he ran behind Hina. "Hurry up and send one of your Pokémon after him!"

Hina nodded as she finally tossed the Poké Ball she had previously pulled out. "Pidgeotto, I choose you!" From out of the ball emerged Hina's red-crested pigeon Pokémon. "Pidgeotto is part Normal type, so he should be resistant to Ghost attacks. Pidgeotto, use your Gust attack!"

"Pidgeoh-joh-joh-joh!" the bird cawed as it flapped its wings rapidly, created a small tornado, which blew towards Haunter.

"Haunter!" the Ghost Pokémon shouted in terror as it was swept away in the whirlwind and sent careening into the wall. Haunter slid down the wall in a slow and comical fashion as its pupils began to roll around in its eyes while small, tweeting Pidgeottos flew in circles above his head. Sweat rolled down the heads of Lee, Hina, and Pidgeotto at the cartoony antics of Haunter.

"That's a strange way for him to utilize his witchcraft," Hina commented.

Haunter shook his head and darted towards Pidgeotto, who had no time to react. However, he floated through the bird and through its trainer as well, striking Lee instead. Hina turned around quickly to see if Lee was all right, but he did not seem to be injured. However, Haunted had seemed to disappear.

"Are you all right, Lee?" asked Hina as she pulled out her Silph Scope again.

Suddenly, Lee's eyes began to droop as his face during red. Lee began wobbling back and forth, hardly able to keep his balance, as he attempted to take on a Karate fighting pose.

"Who are you?!" he asked almost drunkenly.

"Excuse me?" Hina arched an eyebrow.

"I asked you first, you jerk!"

"Lee, what the heck is wrong with you?!"

"He's been possessed," a feminine voice answered. Hina looked towards the stairwell from which she entered the room to see Makoto yet again.

"Makoto? What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you to come here!"

"Let's just say I got a little worried about you," Makoto replied. "I don't think I gave you a fair enough warning about how dangerous Ghost Pokémon are. And sure enough, your Hitmonlee has been possessed. You must not have known that Fighting Pokémon are useless against Ghost Pokémon."

"I-I knew that!" Hina defended. "I wasn't using Hitmonlee against Haunter! He was just out of his Poké Ball and Haunter went after him!"

"Well, whatever the case, the only way to exorcise a ghost is to beat it out!" Makoto pulled out and tossed a Poké Ball. "Go, Marowak!"

As the ball landed and opened, a Pokémon similar to Cubone, only larger, appeared in a flash of white light. Marowak glared at Lee and growled as it held out its bone club as if to challenge him.

"You wanna tussle, tough guy?" shouted Lee. "I will—I will fight you… after I take a quick nap!" Suddenly, Lee fell onto his back, closed his eyes, and began snoring.

"Strange," said Makoto. "I've never known a Pokémon to talk, even while possessed. No matter though. Marowak, use Bone Club!"

"Marowak!" the Ground Pokémon shouted as it ran towards Lee, holding its bone up high. As Marowak swung his bone downward at Lee's head, the snoozing Pokémon turned in his sleep, still snoring, causing the bone to miss by only a few inches. Marowak tried once again to hit Lee on the head, but Lee turned in the other direction, also just in time to barely dodge the attack. Frustrated, Marowak began trying repeatedly to hit Lee with his bone only for Lee to keep turning back and forth. Finally, Lee caught the bone between his feet, kicked it out of Marowak's hands, and leapt to his feet.

"You stupid jerk! Can't ya see I'm tryin' ta take a nap here?!"

Much to Marowak's confusion, Lee jumped onto his hands and began kicking wildly at Marowak as Lee walked towards him with his arms. Finally, Lee jumped forward and hit Marowak in the jaw with a powerful Mega Kick. Even with its skull helmet, Marowak was knocked out by the blow.

"He's stronger than I imagined," said Makoto as she withdrew Marowak and switched to another Poké Ball. "Let's try this one! Gengar, go!" Makoto tossed the ball, and out of it emerged a purple Ghost and Poison Pokémon with evil red eyes and a giant grin.

"Gengar? You have a fully evolved Ghost Pokémon?" asked Hina.

"Gengar is the reason I beat Sabrina so easily," replied Makoto. "There's no doubt in my mind that he can drive that Haunter out of your Pokémon's mind! Gengar, use Hypnosis now!"

"Gengar gengar!" the Pokémon laughed as its eyes began to glow white.

"Whudder you starin' at? Didn't your mudder ever teach you any manners?!" Lee locked eyes with Gengar and was caught in a hypnotic state. "Okay, back to that nap I was taking…" With that, Lee collapsed again, snoring even more loudly than before.

"Now use Dream Eater!" Makoto ordered.

"Dream Eater? Isn't that dangerous?" asked Hina.

"Perhaps," Makoto replied with a laugh. "But hey, it'll get that ghost out of him!"

"Gengar gengar gengar!" Gengar cackled as he flew into the sleeping Hitmonlee's body and disappeared.

-------------------------------------

"Where am I?" Lee wondered as he looked around himself, seeing nothing but complete darkness. Suddenly, light began to show beneath his feed and it expanded outward in a circle until the area around him became visible. He stood in the middle of a coliseum, with millions of people and Pokémon in the crowd cheering for him. "I am a star! They love me!" Lee struck a few fighting poses. He was not sure why he was being cheered on, but he was a hero in these people's eyes, and that was all that mattered to him for the time.

Suddenly, Gallade entered the arena, wearing the same smug grin that irritated Lee to no end. Lee growled at Gallade as he charged at him, feet flying. Gallade dodged each kick as if he could predict Lee's every movement. Gallade's fist then became engulfed in ice as he punched Lee in the stomach. The Ice Punch was so devastating that Lee became completely frozen, trapped in the humiliating position of cringing in pain. Through the ice, he could still hear the boos of the crowd that had moments ago been cheering for him. Gallade laughed and walked out of the arena. Ayako then walked up to Lee, an angry look on her face.

"I can't believe you lost so easily!" she said. "You're useless! You've let me down for the last time! I want nothing more to do with you! Goodbye forever!"

With that, Ayako turned her back on Lee and walked out of the stadium. To Lee, Ayako's words were even colder than the ice that engulfed his body. A frozen tear glistened in Lee's eye as the crowd began to chuck trash at him, their boos and hisses continuing.

-------------------------------------

After a few moments, Haunter emerged from Lee's body and flew away in a panic. Soon after, Gengar also emerged, cackling insanely as always.

"There, your Pokémon is free," said Makoto.

"Haunter is getting away though!" replied Hina as she withdrew her Pidgeotto and began to pursue Haunter. "I have to capture it so I can use it against Sabrina!"

"Not so fast," Makoto said in an almost sinister voice, which sent chills down Hina's spine. "It's your turn!"

Gengar floated in front of Hina, who became paralyzed in fear. "Wh-what do you mean it's my turn?"

"Gengar, Hypnosis and Dream Eater combination again!" shouted Makoto.

Gengar locked eyes with Hina, whose eyes turned completely white as she, too, fell comatose into her own nightmarish realm.

-------------------------------------

"I finally have all eight badges!" Hina said proudly as she gazed over the Boulder, Cascade, Thunder, Rainbow, Soul, Marsh, Volcano, and Earth Badges. "Now I can finally face the Elite Four and have a shot at becoming Pokémon League champion!"

"You're too late!" an irritatingly familiar voice called out. Hina turned around to see Konan. "I've already defeated the Elite Four and become Pokémon League champion! As always, you were just a step behind me! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to Johto to compete in their Pokémon League!"

"Wait a second!" shouted Hina as Konan began to walk away. Konan stopped in her tracks and glanced back at Hina impatiently. "I challenge you for your title for your title of Pokémon League champion!"

"Very well," replied Konan as the environment around them began to change into that of a Pokémon stadium.

Hina did not question why her surroundings changed or why she could not recall ever obtaining all eight badges. She just pulled out a Poké Ball and summoned Squirtle.

"Still using that old thing?" Konan taunted. "It hasn't even evolved yet! Go, Raichu!" Konan released Raichu from its Poké Ball. Raichu towered over Squirtle even moreso than it logically should have, as if Raichu were an elephant and Squirtle were an insect. "Body Slam now!"

"Raichu!" the Electric Pokémon shouted in a very low-pitched voice as it slammed its giant body down on the puny Squirtle.

"Squirtle, no!" Hina cried at the sight of her companion being squashed by such a massive opponent.

"Squirt…le…" Squirtle moaned to Hina after Raichu stood back up. Suddenly, Squirtle began to speak English. "How could you let this happen to me, Hina? I always protected you."

Suddenly, Hina's other Pokémon emerged from their Poké Balls.

"You let us down," said Pidgeotto.

"There's no way we're going to fight for a pathetic trainer like you anymore," Oddish added.

"Come on, everyone, let's get out of here," said Ditto.

"Once a failure, always a failure," said Dugtrio.

With that, Oddish and Ditto helped prop Squirtle onto Pidgeotto's back and all five Pokémon departed the premises. Meanwhile, Konan and Raichu laughed as the crowd cheered for Konan, paparazzi snapping photos of her, camera crews surrounding her and holding out microphones, asking for interviews and writing on small notepads. Hina turned away from the horrible sight only to see her parents looking down on her in disappointment.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Hina," said Isamu. "You've brought shame to our family. We're hereby disowning you as our daughter."

"Daughter?" asked Ayako. "What daughter? I don't have a daughter!"

Without another word, Isamu and Ayako also began to walk out of the stadium behind Hina's Pokémon. The crowd began chucking trash at Hina as she fell to her knees and began to cry.

-------------------------------------

"Those two should be out cold for a while," laughed Makoto as she tossed the unconscious Hina and Lee into a dank room on the top floor of the Pokémon Tower. "Everything is coming together as planned. When Isamu and Ayako find out that we have their daughter and the talking Hitmonlee, they'll rush thoughtlessly into my trap!"

"Gengar gengar!" Gengar began to laugh maniacally along with Makoto. Covering the floor beneath Hina and Lee were strange symbols and hexagrams, pentagrams, circles, and triangles.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Everything is ready for your arrival," Makoto spoke over the video phone in the basement of the Pokémon Tower to Kai, who, as usual, sat in his chair caressing his Persian's neck. "The child and the talking Hitmonlee are both under Gengar's Dream Eater spell."

"Very good," replied Kai. "Once I arrive there, we will begin recording the ransom video. Have the equipment ready."

"Of course," said Makoto.

With that, Makoto shut off the video phone and rummaged through a nearby closet for recording equipment. Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched by one of the tower's ghostly residents.

"Haunter," the Pokémon muttered to itself as it floated out of the room through the ceiling. Continuing to drift upward, Haunter eventually made its way to the top floor, where Hina and Lee lay unconscious, caught in their endless worst nightmares. Haunter examined them both closely. "Haunter?" he said curiously as he poked Hina. He then floated over to Lee and raised his arm only for it to fall limply back to the floor. "Haunt haunter!" Realizing that his two visitors were caught in a deep sleep, Haunter drifted into Lee's body and lifted him back onto his feet. Lee's eyes began to droop as they had when Haunter had previously possessed Lee. Haunter then exited Lee's body as the Fighting Pokémon stood groggily where Haunter had left him. Haunter next took control of Hina, who also rose to her feet, at which time Haunter released her as well.

"Wh-where am I?" asked Hina as she looked around. She quickly noticed both Lee and Haunter. "What happened? I remember attempting to capture you—"

"Haunt haunter!" Haunter cackled, causing Lee to scream.

"Lee, are you sure you're not afraid of ghosts?" Hina teased.

"I am not afraid!" Lee scowled. "I just do not like this ghost! He has already possessed me once and caused me to behave foolishly! I do not wish to be ridiculed like that again!" Lee looked in the direction of Haunter, but to his shock, Haunter was gone. "Oh God, where did he go?!"

"B-behind you," Hina stuttered as she pointed towards the shadowy figure rising over Lee from behind.

Lee swirled around, swinging his foot, in a futile effort to fend off the ghost. However, the attack completely passed through Haunter's gaseous form. Lee struck a defensive pose, trembling all the while, as Haunter began to cackle. Lee's eyes widened and his knees began to shake as Haunter's large tongue began to hang out of his mouth and the Ghost Pokémon licked Lee in the face, drenching the frightened talking Pokémon in its venomous saliva.

"That is so disgusting!" Lee shouted as he flipped backwards behind Hina.

"It's a good thing you have the Limber ability or that Lick attack would have paralyzed you," Hina noted.

"Haunt haunt haunt haunt!" Haunter laughed playfully.

"I think Haunter likes you, Lee," Hina giggled.

"Well I do not like him!" Lee shouted. "He is a vile, disgusting nuisance and nothing more! I want him out of my sight now!"

Haunter's eyes began to fill with tears, and before long, the Ghost Pokémon began crying loudly and dramatically as streams of water shot out both of its eyes. The depressed Pokémon then exited the room through the floor.

"Haunter, wait!" shouted Hina, but he did not listen. "Darn it. I wanted to capture him."

"I would rather that you not! Not only am I against the imprisonment and enslavement of Pokémon, but I do not wish to have to associate with that Pokémon again in the future!"

"You won't have to associate with him again after I capture him. I'll keep him in a Poké Ball until you're reunited with my mother."

"Do what you want. I will take no part in it."

"I won't try to force you to." With that, Hina headed for the door, but as she attempted to open it, she quickly found that it was locked. "We're trapped! What happened?!"

"My memory is drawing a blank. I remember being possessed by Haunter and not much else." Lee pondered for a moment before coming to a realization. "I remember a friend of yours exorcising Haunter from me!"

With the mention of Hina's friend, Hina also began to remember earlier events. "Makoto…"

"But then she turned on us."

"I know… I remember now… her Gengar sent me into a dream state and I can only assume that he did the same to you as well."

Lee nodded. "He did. It was awful."

"I think Haunter may've saved us. We really should thank him."

"Not really. We are still trapped in here with no way out."

Hina looked around the room for possible exits. All she saw was a window, which she promptly opened, and peering outside, she could see that it was not a practical exit as it was seven stories about the ground.

"There is no way you would survive such a fall," said Lee. "Even I would have trouble moving afterwards if I were to drop that distance."

"If only we had a rope," Hina moaned. "Can you stretch your legs down that far?"

"Seven stories? I think not," Lee scoffed. "Why don't you just send one of your Pokémon servants to get help?"

Hina sighed. "I don't really like your tone, but that's a good idea." Hina began to ponder as she thought about her Pokémon and their various abilities. "Oddish's vines could function as ropes, but I don't think they'll be able to reach down that far either. That just leaves one option." Hina finally reached for a Poké Ball and released the Pokémon inside. "Pidgeotto, I choose you!"

"Pidgeoh!" the bird cawed as it emerged in a flash of white light.

"Pidgeotto is much too small to transport either of us," said Lee. "Hopefully you are not thinking of flying out of here on Pidgeotto's back or in his talons."

"No, you're right," replied Hina. "Pidgeotto can't support my weight or yours. I'm just going to send him to get help." Hina turned to Pidgeotto. "Can you do that, Pidgeotto? Fuchsia City is a long way from here, but I'm counting on you to find my dad and guide him here. I think Makoto might be in league with Team Rocket."

"Pidgeoh," Pidgeotto nodded.

Again, Lee scoffed. "Pidgeotto will follow your every order no matter how absurd it is. Because of that Poké Ball device, he has no free will. You could order him to kill himself and he would probably do it."

"Pokémon still retain some free will after being captured in a Poké Ball," Hina contradicted. "At least, I'm pretty sure they do. I certainly doubt Pidgeotto would kill itself just because I told it to."

"Pidgeoh! Pidge-yoh-toh!" Pidgeotto spoke in the direction of Lee.

"What did he say?" asked Hina.

Annoyed, Lee replied, "He says that he will make the journey for you. He is certainly loyal, though why, I do not know."

"Wouldn't you go to great lengths to help my mom if she was in trouble?"

"The old me would have. I was naïve back then. I know better now. Humans use us. They expect us to come through for them in times of need or to fight for their own amusement, but what do they do for us? Nothing."

Hina sighed, knowing it to be futile to argue with Lee. Turning to Pidgeotto, she said, "Pidgeotto, this is your chance. Once you exit through that window, you're free. You don't have to follow my orders if you don't want to. You don't have to get help or come back for me or anything. You can escape into the wild if you so choose. I'm powerless to stop you."

Pidgeotto did not reply but instead perched on the windowsill and prepared to depart.

"Wait!" Lee shouted, stopping Pidgeotto a mere second before liftoff. Pidgeotto looked at Lee, who was holding out his red waistband. "Take this with you." Lee tied the waistband around Pidgeotto's right leg. "Isamu and Ayako may not recognize you and they will certainly not be able to understand you. The sash that Ayako gave me will let them know that you know of my whereabouts. Unfortunately, that will not let them know that Hina is here too, so we will just have to hope that they are willing to risk their lives to save me."

"Lee…"

"It is a long shot, but it is the only shot we have."

"I know my parents will come for you. Then you'll see that you were wrong about them."

"For better or for worse, this will prove the sincerity of Ayako's feelings about me."

"Good luck, Pidgeotto."

"Pidgeoh," the bird nodded as it departed out the window and took to the skies above Lavender Town, heading southwest toward Fuchsia City.

Across the sea in the country of Hoenn, night shrouded the harbor city of Slateport, in which most of the occupants had retired to their homes for the night. However, there stood three figures, two human and one winged dragon, at the docks of Slateport Harbor. In what little light there was visible at the harbor, it was clear that one of the human figures was Kai, while the Pokémon who loomed behind him was his Charizard. Little could be seen of the other, taller figure, but it appeared to be a female, with long hair and a fair-sized chest.

"It was nice to see you again after all these years," Kai spoke. "Unfortunately, I must be going now. I leave Team Rocket's Hoenn division in your hands. Welcome aboard."

"Glad to join your cause," the other figure, whose voice was also feminine, responded.

With that, Kai climbed onto Charizard's back and the orange, flame-tailed dragon took to the skies above the deep blue sea, heading west towards Kanto, roaring loudly along the way. As Kai and Charizard disappeared into the horizon, the female Rocket walked away, unaware that she and Kai had been watched.

A few feet from the docks lay a medium-sized white house with a jagged red spike running across it. Suddenly, a large green chameleon became visible, with a jagged red line running across its body, which had been lined up parallel to the design on the house. The Pokémon darted stealthily down the sidewalk and snuck its way into an alley, where a person in a brown trench coat stood completely motionless.

"Leon," the Pokémon said to its master.

"You found Kai, did you? Is Ayame in league with him?"

The Pokémon nodded.

"Good work, Kecleon. Where are they now?"

With that question, Kecleon darted off back towards the docks, the person in the trench coat following close behind. She then looked in the distance, where she just barely saw the figure of a Charizard flying away.

"Now's my chance to take down Team Rocket's leader. If I take him by surprise while he's in flight, he'll be sleeping with the Goldeens in no time."

The girl removed her trench coat, revealing long brown hair with black highlights, a black t-shirt with a Poké Ball and the letters "PRF" emblazoned in the center, a baby blue leather skirt, and hot pink flip flop shoes. Leaving the coat where it was, the woman withdrew Kecleon into its Poké Ball and pulled out a different one.

"Swellow, go!" the woman shouted as she tossed the Poké Ball. A red-and-white-breasted black bird appeared and immediately began to fly in the direction of Kai and Charizard, its trainer running after it and leaping onto its back just as it flew over the water. Swellow kept its distance as it approached Charizard so as to not alert the Fire and Flying Pokémon or its trainer of their presence. "Hyper Beam," Swellow's trainer whispered to the bird, who opened its beak and charged a powerful beam of pure energy, which it then shot at Charizard, who nonchalantly flew to the side, completely dodging the attack. The trainer's eyes widened and Swellow came to a stop mid-air as Charizard turned around and, along with Kai, glared at its assailants.

"Did you really think we hadn't noticed you?" asked Kai. "You must be with the Pokémon Rescue Force."

"That is correct. My name is Ichiko Hazuki and I am hereby placing you under arrest."

"And if I resist?" Kai taunted. "I don't think you realize what you're getting yourself into here. Charizard, Flamethrower now!"

_Shit! Swellow hasn't finished recharging its energy after that Hyper Beam attack!_

With a roar, Charizard blew a stream of fire at Swellow and its trainer. The fatigued bird tried its best to dodge, but all it could do was attempt to shield Ichiko from the flames with its own body. Cawing in pain as its feathers ignited, Swellow took a dive toward the ocean. As it did, the cop pulled out another Poké Ball.

"Go, Swampert!" From out of the ball emerged a large, blue mudpuppy, which floated in the water. As Swellow took a dive, Ichiko leapt onto Swampert's back. Kai smirked menacingly as he, too, pulled out a new Poké Ball.

"Magnezone, I choose you!" he shouted as he tossed the ball. In a flash of white light, a small, UFO-like metal Pokémon with eyes appeared, calling its name in a robotic voice.

_Magnezone? I think that's a new Pokémon, Magneton's evolved form if I'm not mistaken._

"Magnezone, Thunder!" Kai grinned evilly as he gave the command. Electricity sizzled around Magnezone as the clouds above began to flash with lightning.

_Damn it! We're in the ocean! There's no way we can avoid this attack!_

"Mag-Ne-Zone!" the Electric and Steel Pokémon muttered as it drew a bolt of lightning from the storm clouds above it in order to zap the water below it.

It was late in the morning in Fuchsia City when Isamu had finally awakened. He was the only occupant of his bed and was not sure if Ayako had been in the bed at any point during the night. Realizing that she was probably at work, he decided to pay her a visit at the Safari Zone Zoo. After all, she was going through a rough time and therefore needed his support. After a quick shower and shave, Isamu grabbed a few berries to eat on the way and set out for the zoo. Immediately, Isamu headed toward the vicinity of Cubone's cage, knowing that his wife would most likely be found there. Unsurprisingly, Ayako was there, but surprisingly, Isamu found his wife and the orphaned Pokémon having what appeared to be a training session. By Ayako's command, Cubone was practicing its Bone Club attack in the air, attempting to improve the strength of his swing. Isamu quietly walked to his wife's side and put a hand on her shoulder, at which time she leaned her head onto his body.

"This is unusual," Isamu commented. "You've never trained Cubone before."

"Lee may be gone, but the lessons he taught me during his short time here are still with me," replied Ayako. "He showed me that even a so-called 'failure' can be strong with enough hard work and dedication. He always believed that Cubone could be strong too. And like you said, Hina's Squirtle is even younger than Cubone and is already fighting in gym battles. I can't keep treating Cubone like a baby forever."

"I'm glad you've found a way to hopefully fill the void left by Lee," Isamu sighed. "Of course, we may still have a chance to save him. Either way, Kai and Anoki will pay."

Suddenly, a loud cry pierced the air: "Pidgeohhhhh!" Cubone stopped his practice swings as he, Ayako, and Isamu looked to the sky to see a Pidgeotto flying towards them.

"A Pidgeotto?" wondered Isamu. "Where did it come from and why is it heading towards us?"

To everyone's surprise, the Pidgeotto perched in front of the two humans and the Cubone. The bird flapped its wings wildly, cawing the entire time. Cubone's eyes widened as he understood what Pidgeotto was saying, but Isamu and Ayako did not.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand you," Ayako apologized as she and her husband knelt down in front of the bird. "It's clear that you have something important to tell us though. Where did you come from?"

Isamu glanced at Pidgeotto's left leg and noticed a red cloth tied around it. "What's that?" he asked, pointing at it.

Ayako removed the sash and unraveled it, revealing the metal plate embroidered with a leaf symbol. Ayako's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the familiar sash.

"L-Lee's waistband!" she gasped. "Where did you get this from? Is Lee all right?"

Pidgeotto nodded. "Joh!"

"I don't know how you know Lee or how you knew to come here, but can you show us where Lee is right now?" asked Ayako.

"Joh!" Pidgeotto nodded again.

"I wonder," said Isamu, "could that Pidgeotto be the same Pidgey that Hina captured when she first started her journey?"

"Pidgeoh! Pidgeoh! Pidgeoh!" Pidgeotto again began flapping its wings wildly in response to Isamu's hypothesis.

"It is you, isn't it?" Isamu clenched his fists. "That must mean Hina is in danger as well. I'm going. Show me the way." Isamu withdrew and expanded a Poké Ball.

"I'm going too," said Ayako.

"It's too dangerous! You stay here and train Cubone!"

"Hina is my daughter too, you know! And Lee is my best friend!" Ayako's words were like an arrow to Isamu's heart. "I'm every bit as good a trainer as you. I'm going."

"I don't want to risk your life as well," Isamu whispered, struggling to fight back his tears. "You're _my_ best friend."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like Lee was more important to me than you. Still… I have to help save him, even if I'm not a part of the Pokémon Rescue Force."

Isamu nodded. "You're right; you are every bit as good a Pokémon trainer as I am. You might even be a better one. My Pokémon may be strong, but you share a bond with your Pokémon like none I've ever had. I've never had a Pokémon like Lee or Cubone, who don't need to be contained inside of Poké Balls in order to love you. I understand what they see in you."

"Pidgeoh!" Pidgeotto cawed loudly, trying to avert the humans' attention back to the emergency at hand.

"Let's get going," said Isamu as he tossed the Poké Ball he had pulled out a moment ago. "Pidgeot, I choose you!" In a flash of white light, Pidgeot emerged from the ball, cawing ever loudly.

"Cubone, you stay here and practice your Bone Club attack some more," said Ayako as she and Isamu boarded Pidgeot's back.

"Cubone!" the Pokémon replied defiantly as it, too, climbed onto Pidgeot's back and into Ayako's lap.

"Cubone, please, I can't take you with us! You haven't had enough training to take on Team Rocket yet!"

"Cubone…" Cubone growled as it gripped its bone tightly, images of a Marowak being whipped repeatedly flashing through its head. "Cubone!"

"His mind is made up," said Isamu. "You can't convince him to stay anymore than I can convince you to stay. Just keep him close to you and he'll be fine."

Ayako sighed. "Very well… but I'll never forgive myself if I lose him, too." With that, Ayako placed Cubone in her jacket and zipped it up halfway, his head and hands poking out the top.

"All right then. Pidgeotto, lead the way! Pidgeot, follow Pidgeotto!"

"Pidgeohhhhhh!" both birds cawed as they took to the skies, Pidgeotto guiding Pidgeot northeast towards Lavender Town.

Isamu and Ayako gripped onto Pidgeot's feathers tightly as the bird had to fly extremely fast to keep up with the panicking Pidgeotto it was following. Ayako and Isamu's hearts jumped at the sight of Lavender Town's Pokémon Tower in the distance, which seemed to be the direction in which they were headed. Cubone did not recognize the exterior of the building, but both humans feared that he would recognize the interior despite being little more than an infant when he was first rescued there.

Indeed, Hina's Pidgeotto perched on the seventh floor windowsill of the Pokémon Tower. As Pidgeot flew close, it became apparent that no one in their group, save Cubone, would be able to fit through such a small window.

"Hina, Lee, are you in there?!" shouted Isamu.

"Dad!" Hina shouted back as she ran to the window and peeked out to just barely catch a glimpse of her father's Pidgeot fluttering in front of the window. "I knew you'd come for us!" Hina then looked to her Pidgeotto on the windowsill. "You came back after all! Thank you so much, Pidgeotto!" Lee scoffed, still unconvinced that Pidgeotto was able to act of its own will.

"Is Lee in there with you?" asked Ayako.

"He is!" Hina called back. "He isn't feeling himself anymore though! Maybe seeing you will cheer him up!"

"We can't get in through this tiny window though," said Ayako to her husband.

"We'll have to enter from the first floor and work our way up," replied Isamu. "We'll be right there, Hina! Just hold on!"

"Be careful, dad! I think the person who trapped us here might be in league with Team Rocket!"

"I thought as much," said Isamu. "I'd better call for backup. Pidgeot, land in front of the tower entrance!"

"Pidgeoh!" the bird replied as she glided downward and perched in front of the double doors. Isamu and Ayako then climbed off of Pidgeot's back as Isamu withdrew the bird into her Poké Ball. Isamu then pulled out a walkie talkie.

"Yuki, this is Isamu, come in!" Isamu received no answer, so he tried again. "Yuki, this is Isamu! Do you read me?" Again, no response was given. "Why isn't he answering?!"

"There's no time to waste!" said Ayako. "Hina said that Lee isn't feeling himself! He needs me now!"

Isamu sighed. "Very well. Let's go."

"Cubone…" Cubone muttered as he examined the tall structure in front of him from top to bottom. Somehow, it seemed painfully familiar to him, like a bad repressed memory from his early life. Before he could glance at it a second time, Isamu and Ayako rushed inside the front entrance, expecting an encounter with Team Rocket, and perhaps Ghost Pokémon, at some point. The first floor, at least, seemed clear, but the two trainers stayed alert for whatever dangers might have been waiting for them on the upper floors.

Back in Slateport City, Hoenn, police and Pokémon Rescue Force officers, surrounded by the press as they flashed photographs and recorded the scene, were gathered along the docks of Slateport Harbor, where Yuki zipped up a black body bag. The docks were soaked, as if someone had been pulled out of the water and onto dry land. Yuki sighed as he turned to his fellow officers and the press.

"There's no mistaking it," he said, stoically wiping away a tear from his right eye. "This is the body of my dear friend Ichiko Hazuki. I am unsure if she drowned or died in another manner. However, also recovered from the scene of the incident were the bodies of two of her Pokémon, a Swellow and a Swampert. Swellow would have been able to transport Ichiko by air and Swampert by sea. There is no reason why she would have drowned. Her other four Pokémon were safe in their Poké Balls and are still alive and well. Witnesses report that they saw a bolt of lightning and heard a loud clash of thunder over the sea, but this is unconfirmed. However, we have reason to believe that Ichiko's death was an act of murder and that Team Rocket is involved. The bodies of Ichiko and her two deceased Pokémon will be taken to the morgue, where autopsies will be performed to determine causes of death. Thank you, that is all."

With that, the bag containing Ichiko's corpse, along with two other bags containing the bodies of her Swellow and Swampert, were loaded by paramedics into their ambulance. As the crowd surrounding Yuki began to disassemble, Yuki clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, tears streaming down both cheeks.

_Kai, you monster! You've long since proven your willingness to murder innocent Pokémon, but now you've taken human life as well! I will never forgive you for this! Ichiko was my friend! I swear, as long as there is still blood in my veins, I will find you and make you pay!_


	16. Chapter 16

Author's note: It's been a while since I updated. School just started back, but luckily, I graduate college this December! Woo hoo! Between assignments, however, I've managed to conjure up a new PRF chapter, and perfect timing for a chapter like this too, what with Halloween coming up and all. Enjoy.

Chapter 16

As Isamu and Ayako walked up the stairs to the second floor, Makoto watched quietly from the door of the basement, beads of sweat running down her face.

_What the hell are they doing here?!_ she thought. _Kai and I haven't even made the ransom video yet! Did they somehow figure out that their daughter and the Hitmonlee were being held captive here?! Damn it… Kai isn't even here yet! I'll just have to start the plan without him, though he won't be happy about it. He wants to finish them off himself._

Isamu and Ayako made their way up each flight of stairs in the Pokémon Tower as swiftly as they could while still trying to keep alert, knowing they could be ambushed by either Team Rocket or a Ghost Pokémon at any time. All the while, Cubone, riding in Ayako's jacket, looked around the tower, again feeling uneasy. He did not know why, but for some reason, the tower seemed painfully familiar to him.

Isamu was bothered by the fact that Yuki had not answered his call for backup. He knew it was probably not a good idea to run the risk of a battle with Team Rocket without other Rescue Force officers. Granted, he had Ayako to help him, and she was every bit as skilled a trainer as he was if not moreso. Hina was also there, though she was only a rookie trainer. Despite their disadvantages, all Ayako could think about was Lee's mental health. Hina had told her that he was not feeling like himself since Team Rocket captured him and Ayako hoped that it was not too late to save his morale.

Much to their surprise, the couple made it to the seventh and final floor without a single encounter. Isamu attempted to open the door, but it was locked. He looked at Ayako and they both nodded as Isamu pulled out and expanded a Poké Ball.

"Golem, go!" he shouted as he tossed the ball, releasing his Rock and Ground type Pokémon. "Use a Rollout attack on that door!"

"Golem!" the Pokémon cried as it withdrew its head and limbs, then rolled into door at rapid speed, knocking it off its hinges. Isamu then withdrew Golem.

Ayako rushed through the door into the room where Hina and Lee were being held captive, though Isamu stood silently at the entrance. "Lee! Hina!" she shouted as she ran to her daughter and Pokémon.

"Mom! Dad!" Hina shouted back as she ran into her mother's arms and hugged her tight. They then released as Ayako approached Lee as well, but he showed no affection.

"Lee… I'm so glad you're okay," said Ayako, nearly sobbing. "I was so afraid I'd never see you again."

"I was hoping I would never see you again," replied Lee coldly. Ayako's heart stopped as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "If it is not Team Rocket, it is you. All my life, I have been a prisoner to humans. I have never known what it is to be a wild Pokémon."

"Lee… if that's what you want, I'll set you free as soon as we get out of here." Tears finally began to stream down Ayako's cheeks.

"Cubone…" Cubone growled angrily at Lee for making his surrogate mother cry.

"He's been like this eversince I found him," Hina sighed.

"Please, at least take this to remember me by." Ayako reached into her pocket and pulled out Lee's waistband and held it out to him. In a flash, Lee smacked the waistband out of Ayako's hand, sending it flying into the wall on the other side of the room. The metal plate clattered as it hit the tile floor. Ayako withdrew her hand, massaging it with her other hand, having felt a portion of Lee's slap.

"Cubone!" Cubone cried even more angrily than before as it began swinging its bone wildly in the direction of Lee and attempting to jump out of Ayako's jacket, but Ayako held him back. Cubone and Lee glared at each other with contempt.

"You are as naïve as I once was, Cubone," said Lee. He then looked up at Ayako. "I am shocked that you would bring him here. Do you not know how dangerous this place is? Team Rocket aside, this tower is haunted by Ghost Pokémon."

"And yet we didn't run into either one on our way up here," said Isamu. "That seems just a little too suspicious."

"A little late to be putting two and two together, don't you think?" Isamu, Ayako, Hina, Cubone, and Lee all looked toward the exit to see Makoto, now clad in a Team Rocket uniform, standing where the door used to be. Standing beside her was her Gengar.

"Cu… bone…" Cubone growled as he clenched his bone.

"Liore!" Isamu shouted. "Still hanging around here, are you?!"

"Liore?" Hina asked confused. "So your name isn't Makoto?"

"You've already met her?" asked Ayako.

"We've met, we've battled, and I've even helped her defeat a couple gym leaders," said Liore. "She owes me much."

"She claimed she was a rookie trainer from Hoenn named Makoto," Hina explained. "She always seemed kind of strange, but I never imagined she was in league with Team Rocket!"

"She was trying to win your trust so she could get to us more easily," said Isamu. "Somehow, she knew you were our child and that you were beginning a Pokémon journey, which reinforces my belief that there is a spy in Fuchsia City."

"I must say, I wasn't expecting you two here so early," said Liore. "I was just about to send a ransom notice, but somehow you've managed to find your way here without my help. Either way, you've walked right into my trap!"

"Cubone!" Cubone roared as it leapt out of Ayako's jacket and charged at Liore, holding its bone club up high.

"Cubone, get back here!" shouted Ayako.

With a laugh, Liore commanded, "Gengar, Shadow Ball!"

"Gengar gengar!" her Pokémon also laughed as it charged a ball of concentrated dark energy, sizzling with purple electricity, and tossed it at the charging Pokémon.

"Venusaur, grab him with Vine Whip now!" Ayako panicked as she tossed a Poké Ball.

"Saur!" Venusaur emerged in a flash of white light and extended its vines from underneath the large, poisonous flower on its back. The Grass and Poison Pokémon wrapped its vines around Cubone and pulled it back towards Ayako, just narrowly saving it from Gengar's Shadow Ball attack, which exploded on the floor, singeing the ceramic tiles. Ayako grabbed Cubone from Venusaur and clutched him tightly.

"Please don't do that again, Cubone," she begged. "I know you hate her, and you have every reason to, but you don't stand a chance against her. Let Isamu and me handle this one!"

"What happened between her and Cubone?" asked Hina.

"Years ago," Isamu explained, "when Liore had first joined Team Rocket, she and several other Rocket Grunts were at this very tower performing experiments on Pokémon. Among the test subjects was this Cubone's mother, a Marowak."

"We were attempting to breed super Pokémon, and we had high hopes for her offspring," Liore continued Isamu's story. "Unfortunately, as you can see, the Cubone was a failed experiment. We were just about to exterminate him, along with our other failed experiments, when Pokémon Rescue Force intruded."

* * *

A younger Liore filled a needle with pentobarbital, an anesthetic used for euthanasia. As she examined the dosage, a drop of the toxin dripped from the tip of the needle. She then turned towards her Pokémon patients.

"Who wants to die first?" she said with a smirk. Gazing around the room, her eyes landed on a small Cubone, one lacking a skull helmet, its face buried in its nursing mother's breast. "I think we have a winner!"

As Liore walked towards the mother and son pair, she was interrupted by the sound of breaking glass as the room filled with smoke. Through the smoke, she could just barely make out the silhouettes of several Pokémon Rescue Force officers as well as a floating sphere.

"Koffing!" the floating sphere cried as it emitted its Smokescreen technique.

"Liore, you're under arrest for illegal experimentation and cruelty to Pokémon!" the voice of Isamu shouted through the smoke. Slowly, he and Kinnosuke stepped out of the smoke, but immediately stopped when they saw Liore holding the lethal injection needle to the Cubone's head.

"Take another step and the Pokémon dies!"

"You fucking bitch…" Isamu growled, clenching his fists.

"MaroWAK!" the mother Pokémon cried as she smacked the needle out of Liore's hand, smashing it to pieces and spilling the anesthetic on the floor, also cracking a few of Liore's finger bones.

"You insolent fool!" Liore shouted in a blind rage as she pulled out a gun with her good hand.

"No!" shouted Isamu as he and Kinnosuke each reached for a Poké Ball.

They were too late as a shot was fired. Along the tower wall, the shadow of a liquid flew out from the silhouette of Marowak's head. Liore then aimed the barrel at the infant Cubone, who had begun sobbing uncontrollably.

"Razor Leaf, now!" shouted Kinnosuke.

"Meganium!" his Grass-type Pokémon cried as it shot a razor-sharp leaf at Liore's gun, slicing it in half.

As Koffing's Smokescreen cleared even more, the other Rescue Force officers began to step forward, each one expanding a Poké Ball.

"Liore… what you've done is unforgivable!" said Isamu. "If you don't want a more severe punishment, then I suggest you come with us quietly!"

"Hey, I know when I'm outmatched," she replied as she pulled out a Poké Ball of her own. "I'd rather live to fight another day! Alakazam, Teleport now!"

Liore tossed the ball and a yellow Pokémon with a spoon in each hand emerged. "Alaka!" it shouted as its eyes glowed blue. In a flash, both Liore and Alakazam disappeared from the room.

"Damn it! We lost her!" shouted Isamu.

"We'll get her next time," said Kinnosuke. "The important thing right now is getting all these Pokémon to Ayako."

"You're right," Isamu sighed. "Everyone, start putting these Pokémon into Poké Balls."

"Cubone!" the young Pokémon continued to cry, still attempting to suckle milk from its mother's breast, unsure as to why she was no longer moving or providing sustenance. "Cubone!" he cried again, shoving his mother. "Cubone! Cubone!" In frustration and denial, Cubone grabbed its mother's bone club and began whacking its mother on the head repeatedly. Finally wearing itself out, Cubone began to face his first taste of reality: his mother was gone. Tears welled up in the Pokémon's eyes, though none of the humans could see the Pokémon's face, as it fell to the floor and began sobbing even louder than before. "Cubone! Cubooooone!"

Isamu looked to the ground, trying to hold back his own tears. This was a normal part of his work and he was not supposed to let his emotions consume him. Nevertheless, he felt as though he had failed this young Pokémon by not arriving in time to save his mother.

"Come on, little one," he said. "Let's get you out of here. There's a kind and beautiful woman waiting for you in Fuchsia City. She'll be your new mother."

What Cubone did next shocked, and in some cases disgusted, everybody in the room. Reaching into Marowak's gunshot wound, the Ground Pokémon began to rip away at what was left of her flesh, scratching and clawing until nothing remained of her face. Cubone then ripped off the bloody skull of his mother, dumping out her brain and the other insides. The young Pokémon then placed the bloody skull on its own head as a helmet, a much fiercer look in its eyes than what he had before. He clutched his mother's bone club and walked as best he could on his hind legs towards Isamu. This was the first time he had ever looked towards humans.

"Cubone-bone," he said, as if he wanted to go with Isamu.

"That look in your eyes," said Isamu. "Those are eyes of vengeance." As Isamu looked at Cubone's eyes, he could see an image of Kai's eyes overlapping them. "You probably feel that if you go with me, you may encounter her again. However, it's best that you stay out of harm's way. I will take you with me, but leave Liore to me. I will get your revenge for you."

"So that's where a Cubone gets its skull helmet from!" a female Pokémon Rescue Force officer commented. "I thought maybe they were born that way!"

"Cubones are very dependent Pokémon," a male officer explained. "They cling to their mothers until they die, and even afterwards, they wear the skulls of their deceased mothers, and then continue to live in isolation and loneliness. A loving trainer may, in some cases, be able to fill the void left by a Cubone's mother, but a Cubone never becomes truly independent until it evolves into a Marowak."

"They say no human has ever seen the face of a Cubone or a Marowak," another female officer added. "Their privacy is very important to them."

Once all the Pokémon in the room had been collected, Isamu sighed and turned to his colleagues. "Let's go," he said. "Kinnosuke, do you mind giving Yuki the mission report? I'd like to take this time to explain what happened to Ayako."

"Of course," Kinnosuke nodded. "I'll also handle proper disposal of Marowak's corpse."

With that, Isamu released Pidgeot, then picked up Cubone, the one Pokémon who was not placed in a Poké Ball, and boarded the bird Pokémon. "To Fuchsia City!" he ordered.

"Pidgeoh!" the bird replied as it flew out the broken window and into the night sky.

* * *

"Liore left behind her colleagues and the Team Rocket scientists to be arrested by the Pokémon Rescue Force, uncaring of their fate," Isamu finished. "Marowak was later cremated and memorialized here at the tower."

"How awful!" exclaimed Hina. "I knew that Cubone was rescued from Team Rocket and that he had lost his mother, but… to think that my so-called 'friend' is responsible for his suffering!"

"Don't feel ashamed," said Ayako. "We thought Liore was our friend at one time too."

"And all of you will pay for your gullibility!" Liore laughed.

"What can you do?" asked Isamu. "It's two against one!"

"Make that three against one!" said Hina.

"You'd better stay out of this, Hina," Isamu protested. "Her Pokémon are far more experienced than yours."

"Either way, she's outnumbered!"Ayako added.

Liore grinned sinisterly. "Outnumbered, am I? Why don't you take a better look at your situation?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Isamu.

"Look below you!"

The Koizumi family, as well as Lee, Cubone, and Venusaur, looked down at the hexagrams and other geometrical shapes painted on the tiles beneath their feet.

"What is this? Some kind of ritualistic symbol?" Ayako wondered.

"It's a transmutation circle!" replied Liore. "Are you familiar with the ancient alchemists? They tired endlessly to achieve immortality by creating an elixir of life, otherwise known as the philosopher's stone!"

"You don't mean to tell me that Team Rocket has succeeded where the alchemists failed, do you?" asked Isamu.

"We have not managed to create the elixir, so we cannot reunite spirits with their bodies," Liore continued, "but we are able to conjure spirits through the rituals left behind by the alchemists! And being a Pokémon cemetery, this is the perfect place to conjure up several generations' worth of Pokémon spirits!"

"Gengar gengar!" her Ghost Pokémon cackled as its eyes began to glow a faint red, suddenly lighting all the candles along the walls of the room.

"What's going on?" asked Hina frightened.

"The ritual is starting!" Isamu panicked. "What the hell is this?!"

"I hate Ghost Pokémon, I hate Ghost Pokémon, I hate Ghost Pokémon!" Lee wimpered.

Liore began to speak a Hindu prayer with which none of the other humans present were familiar. Fearing what would happen should Liore finish reciting the prayer, Ayako commanded Venusaur to attack.

"Venusaur, use Razor Leaf on Liore now!"

"Venusaur!" The Pokémon shot its blade-like leaves at Liore, but Gengar moved in the way of the attack and incinerated the leaves with a blast of Nightshade.

Liore then finished speaking and placed her hands down on the transmutation circle, causing it to glow fuchsia. A red aura surrounded Gengar as its eyes glowed fuchsia as well. Isamu, Ayako, Hina, Cubone, Venusaur, and Lee looked around in fear and confusion as several pale, translucent bodies of Pokémon appeared from the glowing markings on the floor beneath them. Most of the Pokémon who appeared were not particularly intimidating, such as Clefairy and Growlithe, but the sheer number was overwhelming.

"Are these… ghosts?!" Ayako asked trembling.

"G-g-ghosts?!" Lee shrieked as he hid behind Ayako. "And so many of them too!"

"They are the spirits of dead Pokémon who have been laid to rest here at the tower!" laughed Liore. "They left this world with unfinished business and are unable to rest in peace, but now they are my mindless soldiers!"

"You heartless wench!" Isamu shouted. "Does your evil know no bounds?!"

"Evil? Is that what you call scientific progress? At this rate, we could discover a way to raise the dead and to achieve the alchemists' dream of immortality! You call that evil?"

"Maybe you _could_ do that, but that's not what you're doing!" Ayako retorted. "You're using Pokémon, both living and dead, for your own personal gain!"

"That is not unlike what the rest of you are doing," Lee remarked, still trembling.

"Whatever your intentions may be, Liore, you're conducting illegal experiments and you're already wanted for numerous crimes up to and including Pokémon slaughter!" Isamu exclaimed. "As a Pokémon Rescue Force officer, I must put a stop to what you're doing and place you under arrest!"

"If you try to stand between me and my ambitions, then I will have no choice but to kill you! Attack, my ghost Pokémon!"

All at once, the several ghostly spirits of deceased Pokémon charged at the Koizumi family and their Pokémon. Each member of the family reached for their belts.

"There are too many of them!" said Isamu as he held three unexpanded Poké Balls in one hand and three more in the other. "It'll take all of our Pokémon together to stop them! Remember, they're already dead, so don't hold back!" Isamu then tossed the six balls into the air and called out his Pokémon's names as they appeared. "Blastoise! Golem! Electabuzz! Rapidash! Pidgeot! Exeggutor! Go!" As each Pokémon appeared, it released its own unique cry and began to defend its trainer against the attacking spirits.

Ayako, meanwhile, pulled out and tossed five Poké Balls of her own. "Sandslash! Jolteon! Ninetales! Slowbro! Zubat! Go!" Again, each Pokémon let out its own cry as they emerged from their Poké Balls. They, along with Venusaur, then entered battle.

"Zubat?" asked Lee as he stared at the Poison and Flying Pokémon, who immediately darted into battle.

"I'm fighting too!" said Hina as she pulled out and tossed five more Poké Balls. "Squirtle! Pidgeotto! Oddish! Ditto! Dugtrio! I choose you!"

As Hina's Pokémon joined those of her parents in battle, Lee turned to Ayako.

"When did you add Zubat to your party?" he asked.

"This morning," Ayako replied. "I thought I would never see you again, so—"

"So you replaced me, I know," Lee interrupted. "That did not take you long, did it?"

"I'm sorry, Lee. I know I failed you, and maybe I gave up hope too quickly, but when Pidgeotto brought me your waistband, my hope was restored and I resolved to get you back!"

"It's good that you came with a full party of six Pokémon," said Isamu, "but why did you bring an unevolved Pokémon?"

"To be honest, and this reason might sound silly, I don't really like Golbat or Crobat. I think Zubat is cuter than its evolved forms."

"Typical human, judging Pokémon by our looks!" Lee grumbled. "How very shallow! I suppose you think I am silly looking as well!"

"Lee, that's not true!"

Isamu watched Ayako's Zubat as it traded blows with a ghostly Spearow. He then noticed that it was wearing a ribbon around its neck with a small, dull gray rock hanging from the front.

"Is that an Everstone on Zubat's collar?" he asked.

"It is," Ayako replied.

"What is an Everstone?" asked Lee.

"It's a stone that prevents evolution," explained Isamu. "Because Ayako doesn't want Zubat to evolve, she must have given it an Everstone to prevent it from evolving by accident."

Ayako looked to her feet in shame. "It's true…"

"Their numbers are waning!" Hina changed the subject. "There may be a lot of them, but they're not that strong!"

"Do you really think you have me beat?" asked Liore. "With this spell, I can conjure up any and all spirits of deceased Pokémon from this vicinity that I want!" Liore clasped her hands together, then knelt behind Gengar and placed her hands on the transmutation circle again, once again causing it, as well as Gengar, to glow. As she did, more ghostly Pokémon appeared from the floor and immediately began to attack the living Pokémon.

"Damn it! There's no end to this!" shouted Isamu. "Our Pokémon are eventually going to wear out, but she can keep summoning more and more ghosts!"

"So then what do we do?" asked Hina.

"For now, we just need to keep at it until we can figure out how to stop her spell," Isamu replied as he watched his Blastoise defeat a Vulpix spirit with its Hydro Pump attack, causing the ghost to fade away. "I just wish we had some way of knowing that the spirits we defeat are being allowed to rest in peace."

"They're wandering in limbo because they're clinging to the world of the living for whatever reason," said Ayako. "Most of them probably died untimely deaths and are clinging to the memory of their trainers."

"Trainers who sent them to their deaths in battle?" asked Lee. "It seems some Pokémon remain brainwashed even in death."

Ayako sighed, but her expression quickly changed to one of fear as she shouted, "Lee, look out!"

Lee turned around to see a Beedrill charging at him, poison dripping from its needles, causing Lee to scream effeminately. Before its attack could connect, however, it was struck down by a Fire Blast from Ayako's Ninetales.

"I will not fight for humans anymore!" Lee declared as his fear changed to resolve. "However, I will fight to defend my fellow Pokémon and myself! Leaf Hurricane!" Lee jumped at a nearby Rhydon ghost, only to fly through him and crash into the wall. "Ow… how did I miss? I am certain that was a direct hit!"

"Lee, your attacks won't work on them!" said Ayako. "You're a Fighting Pokémon! Ghosts are immune to physical attacks!"

"Rhydon!" the enraged ghost shouted as it charged at Lee, its horn drill spinning.

"Its attacks will still work on you though!" shouted Isamu. "You better dodge!"

"Perhaps you have forgotten that there are two parts to my attack," replied a strangely confident Lee. At that moment, all the windows in the room shattered as several razor leaves flew into the room from the outside and pierced the ghostly Rhydon, disintegrating it. Lee did not get to enjoy his victory for very long as he was next attacked by a ghostly Fearow. Lee's fear returned as he hopelessly kicked and swung his arms at the giant bird, but all of his attacks went through their target, who pecked away at Lee mercilessly.

"Jolteon, Thunderbolt now!" shouted Ayako.

"Jolt!" the spiky yellow Pokémon cried as it zapped the ghost of Fearow with a surge of electricity.

Sparks flew, water was sprayed, fire was spewed, leaves were shot, wind was blown, and stones were tossed. The battle continued endlessly, so it seemed to the Koizumi family and their Pokémon. Unbeknownst to anyone, the Haunter whom Hina and Lee had previously encountered was in the room again, having followed Isamu and Ayako to the top floor, watching the fight, but too afraid to join in.

Despite being the Pokémon with the biggest grudge against Liore, Cubone was the only one of the Koizumi family's Pokémon who sat this battle out, assuming the role of a spectator. Cubone had never before seen Liore's face, having always buried his face in his mother's breast up until her death. He recognized Liore by smell alone, and now Isamu had confirmed that she was, in fact, his mother's murderer.

Ayako knew how badly Cubone wanted to participate in the fight, but he had only recently begun training and had thusfar shown little to no talent as a fighter, so she clutched Cubone tightly in her arms, preventing him from impulsively joining in the fight. He watched in envy as Hina's young Squirtle defeated a Charmander ghost with its Water Gun attack. He fell even further into despair as he witnessed Isamu's Blastoise protect its offspring from a surprise attack by a ghostly Raticate. Shifting his focus, Cubone watched as a ghostly Marowak helplessly swung its bone at Hina's Pidgeotto, Isamu's Pidgeot, and Ayako's Zubat, who floated in the air above Marowak, safely out of the range of the Pokémon's attack.

"Cubone?"

"You stupid Marowak!" shouted Liore. "Bone Club is a Ground attack! It's not going to work on Flying Pokémon!"

"Cubone!" the young Pokémon cried as it bit Ayako's hands to free itself and leapt out of her grasp.

"Ow!" Ayako shouted, holding her fingers in pain. "Cubone, come back here!"

Cubone did not listen. He instead ran towards the Marowak ghost and locked eyes with it.

"Cubone…"

"Marowak…"

Ayako's eyes widened. "Could it be…?"

Isamu nodded. "So it would seem."

"Your assumptions are correct," said Lee. "The word Cubone just spoke was 'Mother.'"


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Charizard soared through the skies westward from Hoenn to Kanto, Kai clinging tightly to his back. Glancing behind himself, Kai could see several Flying and Water Pokémon following him, trainers on their backs.

"Pokémon Rescue Force," he muttered. "Looks like it'll take longer than I thought to get to Lavender Town. We should start by splitting them up so that we can take them out one by one. Charizard, use Double Team!"

The orange dragon roared as images of other Charizard, each with an illusion of Kai on board, appeared in flight next to the original. The many illusionary Charizard, as well as the original, went off in different directions.

"He's trying to split us up!" Yuki shouted to his teammates as he rode through the water on a raft of six surfing Mudkip. "Whoever finds the real Kai, do not engage in one-on-one battle with him! Keep your distance, contact your teammates, and wait for our arrival!"

"Yes sir!" the other officers shouted in unison.

Back in the Lavender Town Pokémon Tower, Cubone gazed into the eyes of a ghostly Marowak while the Koizumi family's Pokémon protected their trainers from the ghosts of the Pokémon who lay at rest in the tower.

"That Marowak… is Cubone's mother?" Hina gasped.

"It would seem so," replied Lee.

"Charming reunion," Liore scoffed. "Now attack!"

Gengar's eyes glowed lavender, causing Marowak's eyes to glow lavender as well. Marowak then raised her bone club high and brought it down on Cubone's head. Ayako, Isamu, Hina, and Lee gasped in horror. Cubone fell onto its bottom and began sobbing loudly as Marowak prepared to attack again.

"Mother or not, she's under Liore's control!" said Isamu. "Exeggutor, use Leaf Storm!"

"Ex-Egg-U-Tor!" the coconut tree-like Pokémon cried as it shot several leaves from atop itself at the ghostly Marowak. To everyone's surprise, however, Cubone leapt in the way of the attack, attempting futilely to fend off the leaves with its bone.

"Cubone!" Ayako shouted. "Please stop! That's not really your mother! She's trying to kill you!"

"Oh, but it is his mother!" Liore laughed. "Her ghost, anyway! Now I'm going to do Cubone a favor and reunite him with his mother, and then he can join my ghost army as well! Marowak, finish him off with a Bone Club attack!"

"Maro!" Marowak brought its club towards Cubone once again, but the bone merely hit the tile where Cubone had previously been. Looking up, she saw Ayako's Slowbro using telekinesis to levitate Cubone back into Ayako's arms.

"Cubone, I'm sorry, but we have no choice," said Ayako with tears in her eyes. "Your mother is already dead. We have to vanquish her ghost so that she can be at peace."

"Exeggutor, try your Leaf Storm again!" Isamu commanded.

Again, Exeggutor launched a flurry of leaves at the ghost of Cubone's mother, this time connecting with its intended target, causing the ghost to dissipate. Cubone cried loudly as its mother's ghost vanished, as if she had died in front of him a second time. Isamu glared angrily at Liore, though he maintained his composure.

"You have some nerve," he said calmly, with only a hint of a growl in his voice. "As if you haven't already caused that poor Cubone enough psychological damage, you had to play with his emotions by summoning the spirit of his mother here."

"I've actually been summoning spirits at random," replied Liore. "Marowak is among the Pokémon who have been laid to rest here."

"Her spirit is wandering in limbo here because she left this world with unfinished business," Isamu continued. "In other words, she's worried about her son's well-being. By forcing her to attack her son, you've disrespected the dead."

"Disrespecting the dead… playing with others' emotions… I'm just getting started!" Liore clapped her hands together again and placed them on the transmutation circle. Isamu's eyes widened as he watched three new Pokémon spirits rise from the floor: an Arcanine, a Raichu, and a Raticate.

"You… bitch…" Isamu clenched his fists until they began to bleed.

"What is the matter?" asked Lee, his knees shaking as he hid behind Venusaur.

"Those three are Pokémon Isamu used to own," replied Ayako. "They all died in the line of battle with Team Rocket."

"And all three are memorialized here," said Isamu, a tear running down each side of his face. "I had hoped that their spirits were resting in peace, but apparently, they're still clinging to the memory of me."

"Attack!" Liore commanded as the three Pokémon charged.

Isamu stood where he was, making no attempt to dodge.

"Isamu, look out!" shouted Ayako.

"Daddy!" Hina also shouted.

"I failed you all," said Isamu as tears continued to stream down his face. "I sent you all to your deaths. My job is to rescue Pokémon from Team Rocket, but you all were the ones rescuing me. I'm the one who deserves to be a ghost, not you three."

The three charging Pokémon were unmoved by Isamu's words, their eyes glowing with the same lavender as Liore's Gengar, as they bore their teeth and leapt at the unmoving Isamu, who closed his eyes and awaited their assault. He heard the sound of their teeth chomping, but he did not feel a thing. Opening his eyes, he saw the three Pokémon ghosts biting the shell of Isamu's Blastoise as he stood guard in front of his trainer, defending him against the ghosts' attacks.

"Blastoise, please stop," Isamu ordered.

For perhaps the first time ever, Blastoise refused to obey its trainer. Gnashing its teeth, Blastoise fought off the three ghostly Pokémon as a black aura began to surround his teeth.

"He's about to use Bite," said Ayako. "That's a good strategy. Dark attacks are a Ghost Pokémon's weakness."

"Blastoise!" the giant turtle shouted as it lunged at its three opponents, but to its surprise, Isamu stepped between them, his arms outstretched, in protection of the ghosts. Blastoise quickly halted its attack, not wanting to harm its master. Before a word could be said, the ghost of Arcanine smacked Isamu in the head with its paw, knocking him to the ground.

"I cannot believe he—!" Lee gasped.

"Isamu!" Ayako ran to her husband and set his head in her lap. "Isamu, I know you love your Pokémon, but like you said to Cubone, they're already dead! Don't let Liore's mind games get to you!"

Isamu looked up wearily as Blastoise destroyed the ghost of Arcanine with a blast of Hydro Pump, then proceeded to destroy Raichu and Raticate with two consecutive Bite attacks.

"Think about how Blastoise feels," Ayako continued. "Those were his former teammates. He fought alongside them in several two-on-two battles even back when you were a rookie Pokémon trainer competing for badges. However, he is letting go of the past and protecting those who are important to him in the present."

"You're right," said Isamu as he stood up. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let my emotions consume me. I had emotional training when I joined Pokémon Rescue Force, so I don't know what came over me."

"It's all right," Ayako replied. "I know how much you love your Pokémon."

Lee looked to the ground in shame. _He really does… love his Pokémon…_

Isamu finally recollected himself as he faced Liore again. "That was a good try, but you haven't beaten me yet!"

"It's only a matter of time," replied Liore. "Take a look at your Pokémon!"

Isamu glanced around at his, Ayako's, and Hina's Pokémon. As the seventeen Pokémon continued defeating ghost after ghost, they panted heavily, each one nearly at its limit. Hina's young Pokémon especially appeared fatigued, yet they continued pushing themselves to protect their trainer. Finally unable to fight anymore, Squirtle collapsed from exhaustion.

"Squirtle!" Hina panicked. "You've done enough! Return!"

Before Hina could withdraw her Squirtle, a Pikachu ghost leapt at it, electricity sparking from its cheeks. Blastoise shot a Bubblebeam at Pikachu, just barely dissipating it before its attack could connect.

"Only a Bubblebeam?" Liore laughed. "Looks like your Blastoise has worn out its Hydro Pump attack."

"We've got to find a way to break this spell," Isamu muttered quietly to his wife and daughter. "We need to figure out how she's summoning these ghosts!"

"It has something to do with that pattern on the floor," replied Ayako.

"You're right. It must be related to her alchemical ritual." Isamu pondered for a moment. "Rapidash, use Ember on the floor!"

Though she did not understand the purpose of her master's order, Rapidash obeyed and breathed a small stream of fire onto the floor. When the attack was over, the floor remained unscathed as the smoke from the attack slowly cleared.

"Trying to destroy my transmutation circle?" asked Liore. "Don't waste your energy!"

"We have no choice but to flee," said Isamu. "However, I somehow doubt it'll be that easy." Walking to the window, Isamu reached his hand out only to be zapped by an invisible forcefield that briefly glowed with lavender electricity in the spot that Isamu had touched.

"I told you, it's useless!" shouted Liore. "There is no escape!"

"There has to be some way to undo the ritual," said Ayako. "But how?"

As the weary Pokémon, with the exception of Squirtle, continued to fight off the ghostly Pokémon, Isamu, Ayako, and Hina looked around the room for any clues they could find as to how they could stop the ritual. It was then that Cubone, still injured from his encounter with his mother's ghost, noticed something interesting: Gengar's arms were extended, its fingers moving in sync with the Ghost Pokémon in the room.

"Cubone! Cubone bone!" the Pokémon shouted to Ayako. Realizing that she could not understand her, Cubone decided to instead take matters into his own hands as he performed a Bonemerang attack.

"Cubone!" Ayako gasped. "What are you doing?"

"Gengar gengar!" Liore's Pokémon laughed as it leapt out of the way of the bone, which flew back to Cubone's hand.

"Of course… Gengar…" Ayako whispered.

"What?" asked Isamu curiously. He and Hina then observed Gengar along with Ayako and saw what Cubone had seen. "Is he the one controlling the ghosts?"

"Let me see something," said Hina as she pulled out her Silph Scope. Looking through it, she could see what appeared to be lavender strings extending from Gengar's fingers, connecting them to the ghosts. "It's true! He's controlling them like puppets!"

"All right, everyone!" shouted Isamu. "Direct your attacks at Gengar! Go!"

All of the Koizumi family's Pokémon launched their attacks at Gengar, but the Ghost and Poison Pokémon merely laughed as he blocked all of their attacks with a giant Shadow Ball attack. The ensuing explosion knocked several of the Pokémon unconscious as their trainers watched horrifyingly.

"Is her Gengar really that strong?" asked Hina.

"It's not that," replied Isamu. "She's just managed to wear our Pokémon out so much that it's able to take out all of them at once! All this time, our Pokémon were just wasting their energy!"

"It's too late to turn the tide of battle now!" Liore said with a smirk. "You took too long to figure out my technique! Now to finish you off!"

"I wish I could help you," Lee sighed, "but my attacks are useless. Even Leaf Hurricane would not help since my leaves would just be blocked by the forcefield."

"Cubone!" Cubone cried as it leapt out of Ayako's jacket and held its bone up high.

"Cubone, not again! There's no way you can win!" Ayako protested.

"Ground attacks are useless against Pokémon with the Levitate ability," said Isamu. "Even if Cubone had battle experience, he wouldn't have a chance against Gengar."

"Isn't there some way he can win?" Hina cried.

Isamu sighed. "It's a long shot… but it's the only shot we have. Exeggutor, use Gravity!"

"Ex-Egg-U-Tor!" the weakened Pokémon used a sizable fraction of its little remaining strength to create a blue aura around Gengar, weighing it down and fastening it to the floor, greatly limiting its mobility.

"That is genius!" Lee exclaimed. "Now Gengar cannot avoid Cubone's attacks!"

"All right then! Cubone, use Bonemerang, now!" Ayako ordered.

"CuBONE!" the small Ground Pokémon cried as it tossed its bone at Gengar once again, smacking it in the face, then smacking it again in the back of the head on its way back to Cubone's hand. At that moment, Gengar's eyes and the transmutation circle ceased to glow as the ghosts disappeared.

"It worked! The ritual stopped!" shouted Isamu. "Blastoise, finish Gengar off with a Bite attack!"

"Blastoise!" the turtle forced itself to its feet as a black aura surrounded its teeth and it leapt at Gengar, biting the Ghost Pokémon its face, Dark energy pulsing through its entire gas-like body.

"Gengar, no!" Liore growled as she withdrew her Pokémon. "No matter! I have other Pokémon! I can still finish you off!"

Before Liore could grab another Poké Ball, however, Cubone leapt at her, his bone held up high. As their gazes met, Liore saw true hatred in Cubone's eyes.

"CuuuuBONE!" the Ground Pokémon snarled as he hit Liore in the head with a Bone Club attack, knocking her unconscious as a puddle of blood formed on the floor under her head. Cubone raised its bone up for another attack, but Isamu grabbed the Pokémon's arm.

"I know you want to avenge your mother," he said, "but we need Liore alive so that we can turn her over to the interrogation corps."

"Cubone…" the young Pokémon muttered as it reluctantly lowered its arm.

Sighing in relief, Isamu fell to his knees. He then reached over to Liore and removed her Poké Ball belt.

"You did it, Cubone," said Ayako. "You saved us all."

"Cubone…" The Pokémon was not as celebratory as its trainer, its head facing the floor.

Isamu sighed. "Let me try one more time to get ahold of Yuki. I'll let him know that we captured a member of Team Rocket."

As Isamu pulled out his walkie talkie in another attempt to contact the Pokémon Rescue Force leader, Ayako turned to Lee.

"You're free to go now, if you'd like," she said.

"That is okay," Lee replied. "Sensei… I…"

"Sensei?" asked Ayako.

Lee's eyes began to well up. "I am so sorry, Ayako-sensei! I was wrong about you, Isamu, and Hina! Not all humans are like Team Rocket! You may keep your Pokémon inside of Poké Balls and use them for battle, but when Isamu defended the ghosts of his deceased Pokémon, I realized that you all really do love your Pokémon!"

"Of course we do, Lee," replied Ayako as she finally hugged Lee. "I'm sorry too."

"For what?" he asked as they pulled away from their embrace. "What do you have to apologize for?"

"For replacing you with Zubat. I gave up on you too quickly. From now on, I will never carry more than five Pokémon with me. You will always have a place in my team." Ayako then turned to Zubat. "I owe you an apology as well, Zubat. I'm sorry for keeping you from evolving. I should have left that decision up to you. I swear I'll never judge a Pokémon based on looks ever again. I know how much that hurts." An image of Isamu hugging Reichi as Ayako stared in jealousy appeared in Ayako's mind. Shaking that image out of her mind, Ayako removed the collar with the Everstone from Zubat's neck. Zubat immediately began to glow as it grew into a Golbat, at which time it stopped glowing. "Congratulations, Golbat," Ayako said with a smile.

"Golbat!" the large bat cried happily as it lightly nuzzled Ayako.

"We should get our Pokémon to the Pokémon Center now," said Hina. Her parents nodded as the three trainers withdrew all of their Pokémon, with the exceptions of Lee and Cubone. Isamu tore off a piece of Liore's shirt and used it to bandage up the wound on her head. He then slumped her onto his back as the Koizumi family headed for the doorway.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" said Lee. "My waistband!"

Ayako sighed as she recalled the moment when she handed Lee his waistband and Lee smacked it out of her hand. Lee turned around to retrieve it only to come face-to-face with Haunter, who held Lee's waistband up to him.

"Haunter?" Haunter said with a friendly smile on his face, as if asking, "Looking for this?" Lee's body froze with fear, a shiver working its way up Lee's legs and through his upper body. Lee then screamed in fear as he ran behind Ayako.

"Keep that-that-that—_thing_ away from me!" he panicked.

Haunter's eyes drooped as he began crying loudly, streams of water comically shooting from his eyes.

"Oh no, another Ghost Pokémon!" Ayako shouted in fear. "Our Pokémon don't have the strength to fight it right now!"

"We'll just have to run then!" replied Isamu, also scared.

"I don't think he's here to fight us," said Hina as she walked up to Haunter. Haunter's tears dried up as Hina approached. "You just wanted to return Lee's waistband, didn't you?" Hina took the waistband from Haunter and patted him on the head.

"Haunt haunt haunt haunt!" Haunter laughed in delight as Hina scratched his head. He then began nuzzling Hina and purring like a cat.

"What a strange Pokémon," Ayako commented as beads of sweat ran down her head, as well as Isamu's, Lee's, and Cubone's.

"You're awfully affectionate!" said Hina. "Would you like to come with me, Haunter? I came to Lavender Town in search of a Ghost Pokémon to use against Sabrina."

"Haunter! Haunt haunt haunter!" Haunter nodded repeatedly and rapidly.

"Y-you're actually going to… take him with you?!" asked a quivering Lee.

"Of course! That's the whole reason I came here in the first place!"

"Just put him in a Poké Ball until I leave!"

"I thought you were against putting Pokémon in Poké Balls, Lee," said Ayako.

"In this case, I am willing to make an exception!"

"Very well," said Hina as she pulled out an empty Poké Ball and pressed the button in the center, causing it to open up and suck Haunter inside. As Haunter did not resist capture, the button immediately stopped glowing red. "I finally have a full team of six Pokémon!"

"Let's get to the Pokémon Center now," said Isamu. "Pokémon Rescue Force should be waiting there for us to take Liore."

"Did you manage to get ahold of Yuki?" asked Ayako.

"No," Isamu replied. "However, I received a call from Kinnosuke informing me that Yuki was on an urgent mission. In Yuki's absence, Kinnosuke ordered the nearest squad of Rescue Force officers to the Lavender Town Pokémon Center."

"Urgent mission," Ayako pondered. "I hope Yuki will be okay."

"I'm sure he'll be fine. Let's go."

With that, Isamu, Ayako, Hina, Cubone, and Lee exited the premises of the tower and headed for the town's Pokémon Center. Elsewhere, Yuki and several other Pokémon Rescue Force officers, along with their Pokémon, investigated a small island off the eastern coast of Kanto.

Sighing in despair, Yuki finally said, "He's not here. Let's move on. He may have gotten away already."

The officers walked towards the coast, where they began taking to the skies and the waters again. As Yuki prepared to board his raft of Mudkip again, he walked across a giant leaf jutting out of the ground. Yuki glanced at the unusual leaf, then sat down on his Mudkip raft and departed the island. Once all the officers were out of sight, the leaf rose from the ground, revealing itself to be part of a Victreebel who had been hiding in the ground. Kai then lifted the leaf and climbed out of the Victreebel, a bulging red lump on his head from where Yuki had stepped on him.

"Looks like the coast is clear," Kai muttered, rubbing his head. "Now on to Lavender Town!"

"Treeeeeee!" the Victreebel screamed as it bit Kai's head.

"Let go of me, you stupid weed!" shouted Kai as he struggled to free himself.

Back at the Lavender Town Pokémon Center, the nurse and her Chansey wheeled out a cart holding several Poké Balls to Isamu, Ayako, and Hina in the waiting room. The nurse held Cubone in her arms while Lee followed close behind.

"Your Pokémon are all healed," the nurse said. "That shiny Hitmonlee of yours is a very impressive find! Its face is strange though."

"Hitmonlee!" Lee shouted in annoyance.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you," the nurse laughed nervously. Once the three trainers had reclaimed their Pokémon, the nurse and her Chansey returned to the counter.

"I guess you two will be heading back home now," said Hina. "I need to get back to Saffron City. Konan must be way ahead of me by now!"

"Lee, what will you do now?" Ayako asked. "I meant what I said when I told you that you could go free."

"Sensei… if it is all right with you… I would like to resume training under you."

Ayako smiled. "Of course it's all right with me. Maybe you can help Cubone train too."

"Actually, I have a favor I would like to ask of you, Lee," Isamu interrupted.

"A favor?" asked Lee. "What is it?"

"Could you accompany Hina on her journey? You'll get more fighting experience if you go with her than you would staying in Fuchsia City."

"You make a valid point," replied Lee. "I also take it that you want me to protect Hina in case Team Rocket targets her again?"

"Precisely," said Isamu. "You're strong, Lee. You're really strong. I have the utmost faith in you. Please protect my daughter from Team Rocket."

"I will," Lee nodded.

"And I'll protect Lee from Team Rocket as well!" Hina declared.

"Is this all right with you, Ayako-sensei?"

Ayako nodded. "I'll miss not having you or Hina around, but I suppose I can just focus on training Cubone for right now. Please take care of each other."

"We will, mom."

Ayako hugged Lee as Isamu hugged Hina. Ayako then hugged Hina as well. With that, the three trainers and their Pokémon exited the Pokémon Center.

"Before we leave Lavender Town," said Isamu, "I'd like to pay one last visit to my Pokémon's graves. Perhaps Cubone can pay his respects to Marowak as well."

Ayako nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a good idea."

Isamu, Ayako, Hina, and Lee knelt at the tombs of Arcanine, Raichu, and Raticate as Isamu said a small prayer, wishing for them to rest in peace and not to worry about him anymore. Elsewhere in the cemetery, Cubone stood in front of his mother's grave, marked by a stone carving of a Marowak's skull helmet. To his surprise, he did not cry. He had discovered a new resolve to become stronger. On top of the grave, through the light from the window overlooking it, Cubone thought he could see the ghostly figure of his mother, but the light began to shine too brightly into his eyes.

"Are you ready to go, Cubone?" asked Ayako as she approached the young Pokémon.

"Bone," he replied as he leapt into Ayako's jacket.

Without another word, Ayako walked outside where Isamu sat waiting on board Pidgeot, Hina and Lee standing to the side.

"Goodbye, Hina, Lee," said Ayako. "Please contact us once you arrive in Saffron City."

"We will," replied Hina. "Goodbye, mom and dad."

"Take care," said Isamu. "Hopefully we'll see you again real soon, and under more pleasant circumstances."

"Farewell, Ayako-sensei, Isamu-sensei," Lee said with a bow. "I will see to it that no harm ever befalls your daughter again!"

"Thank you, Lee," said Ayako as she boarded Pidgeot.

"Let's go!" ordered Isamu.

"Johhhhhh!" Pidgeot cawed as it took to the sky.

Hina and Lee watched until Pidgeot was little more than a speck in the sky. They then turned to each other.

"Oh, by the way," said Hina as she pulled out Lee's waistband. "I believe Haunter was trying to return this to you."

"Thank you," said Lee as he took it and tied it around his waist. Lee then froze in fear. "I just remembered… you have Haunter with you! That means that I am going to have to deal with him every time you summon him!"

"Still afraid of ghosts?" Hina giggled.

"I am not! He is just a nuisance, that is all!"

"I don't think he's so bad. He's friendly and affectionate! I think he just wants attention and love."

"That is fine, just keep him away from me!"

"Your knees are shaking, Lee. Are you sure you're not afraid of him?"

"I am not afraid of ghosts!"

"Whatever. Let's just hurry to Saffron City!" With that, Hina darted away.

"Oi… and the Pokémon she will be using against Sabrina is Haunter," Lee sighed. "I am not looking forward to this at all."

Nevertheless, Lee reluctantly followed close behind Hina as they headed west towards Route 8 and Saffron City.


End file.
